Yu-Gi-Oh! ASPECT (Arc 1): Desire of the Duelist
by D'Sceptre Inc
Summary: Akaine. Percy. Save. Evy. Ceren. Tidus. These are the stories of the disgruntled and forsaken across three timelines make famous by three card-playing champions, and what they do when their grievances force them to measure up against their heroes. These are the voyages of the ASPECT.
1. ASPECT Ascension

**Welcome, everyone, to the bright and humble beginnings of both the "BlaDeS of Change Workshop and Yu-Gi-Oh Aspect. I'm D'Scep, and I feel pretty-**

 **-oh so pretty.**

 **Moving on from that madness.**

 **Hard as it is to believe, yes the BlaDeS of Change Workshop HAS migrated over to this fine website! And my masterpiece a-near-decade-long-in-the-making-before-Yugico-crapped-the-bed-and-forced-me-to-build-it-all-up-again-on-DeviantArt has finally come to fruition. Bear with me gentlemen, it's been ages since I kept to a literary schedule not enforced by the words "and this counts as 30% of your grade.".**

 **..that was unnecessary to divulge. Huh.**

 **Well, this story is not, and I think its time we get into it. Time for that lovely context fairy to pay a visit, folks. This first of an epic comes in three timelines-**

 **1) the HERO Timeline, or the Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters GX anime storyline, that begins shortly after Jaden's fateful fusion with Yubel,**

 **2) the Signer Timeline in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's universe, going right after the Dark Signers' rampage and before the Daedalus bridge is constructed, and**

 **3) the Number Timeline, where Yuma and his friends left off rocketing to the Astral World to handle the new crisis of the day after the long-awaited end to the Astral/Barian Worlds' war.**

 **From then on, however...well, anything goes. You'll see just how in a sec. For now, let's start the clock.**

* * *

 **DUEL ACADEMY\HERO TIMELINE\12:01 PM**

 _"…and with the rumored return of the tournament's last champion, our tournament in Athens takes final shape-the proving ground for a new breed of card-clashing gladiators! In just 6 short days, the Chaos Showdown Invitational will begin!"_

This was the blaring announcement made over the TV in the main wing of the far-and-removed island school known as Duelist Academy, just outside the dueling stages. Everyone who was anyone in the Academy was busy watching this event with bated breath.

"-OW! My side! Yubel, you really need to remind me how to set my alarms soon!"

…okay, all save for one. The aptly dubbed Slifer Slacker of the Duelist Academy, Jaden Yuki, was busy racing pell-mell to his classroom. Unbeknownst to anyone not intricately familiar with the concept of Duel Spirits, a dual-haired demonic-looking entity was trailing behind this duelist, arms folded and well-worn frown etched on her face.

 _"Jaden, we've been over this. Do you remember the earthquake incident?"_

Jaden stopped for a minute at this. "I still think it's a stretch to say it was a 4.5. Even **I'm** not that heavy a sleeper!"

 _"And what of all the classes that were canceled then? Did you ever wonder why?"_

"Oh-Well, you know, gift horses and all that." Then Jaden's trademark grin crossed his face again. "Yubel, do you think you could…"

 _"Not without causing this entire island to be evacuated_ ," Yubel then got a small glint in her eyes. _"Though that would mean I could spend more time with you…"_

Jaden simply waved off Yubel before she could finish. "Don't worry, Yubes, I was joking!"

Yubel became incredibly grateful Jaden was preoccupied with his dash to notice her childish pout. Not that it ACTUALLY was. She was Yubel, it was simple concern!

"Besides, I heard it was a presentation on this new tournament! I'm actually sorry I overslept!"

With this final statement, Jaden finally made it to the presentation room and threw open the door.

And nearly clocked Professor Crowler in the face with it. Surprisingly, the Obelisk Blue headmaster, considering his previous spats with Jaden, took it in relatively good stride.

"JADEN, YOU INSOLENT **DOLT**! You could have sent me into an early GRAVE with your reckless rampage! Do you have **ANYTHING** to say for yourself?!"

Again, **relatively** is the key word here.

"Sorry Prof-I was busy with my-um, well see-" Thankfully- or unthankfully, considering who you're talking to-Jaden's legs tangled together during his back-scoot from the fuming Crowler, and he landed on his back. Why yes, the floor was solid marble, why do you ask?

Anyway, trying to ignore the Winged Kuribohs circling his head-or the jostling laughs of his classmates bombarding his ears-Jaden struggled back to his feet.

His gaze, however, quickly snapped from the venting of Crowler to the screen presenting the promo for the Duelist of Duelists competition. Specifically, the view was focused on the girl-centered in front of the screen. The pure, jet black shuriken-like fan of hair and darkened complexion only served to make her stand out from the throng of cheering fans and bright lights that surrounded her dueling photo. She probably would have passed as cute if not for the scowl she sported.

"Who's she?" Jaden asked.

"AND FURTHERMORE I-wait, you're asking about Akaine?" Crowler asked, his hurricane of fury momentarily stopped. "Well, I'm surprised you'd be this concerned over a duelist like her, but if this is what it takes to snap you out of your sophomoric ways…"

"Good luck," muttered Chazz Princeton, arms folded and half-mast smirk on his face.

"…as I was saying, that duelist is the 1st winner of the Chaos Showdown, a duelist called Akaine Yubin! Her victory was all the more poignant due to her re-interpretation of the rules…" here, Crowler's tone turned to a more serious level, "...rules which yours truly will ensure are strictly followed THIS time! May I remind you that our representatives will be dueling for an entire institution-and as such will show the finesse I EXPECT from Duel Academy's cream of the crop!"

Alexis Rhodes fielded the next question. "Professor, if I may ask so we can avoid a repeat, what rule did Akaine break?"

"Well," Crowler replied, self-righteous air whittling away as quickly as his previous one, "…the rule wasn't so much broken as it was created. See, Akaine wished to prove she was the greatest intercontinental duelist, either alone or as part of a unit."

As Crowler spoke, the pictures flashed to life behind him, illustrating Akaine's journey through the Chaos Showdown. So, our intrepid Duelist, in this instance, asked to compete in **both** -the singles gauntlet by herself, and the tag gauntlets with her partner and cousin, Cesare Yubin!"

"Let me guess how this ends-they didn't get their wish, so one of them dressed in drag and pretended to be three people to win?" Chazz haughtily asked. "Cause that's what I'd expect with the young and senseless."

 _"At least you'll never have that problem with US around!"_ Ojama Yellow said, popping up from behind Chazz's collar.

"No-for that, I'd have to actually **want you around!"** Chazz bellowed from between a gate of clenched teeth, causing the transparent trio to cower in retreat.

Facing a sea of glares from everyone else (save for Jaden,) Chazz responded with a just-as-bold "Don't you losers have someone **else** to fawn over?!"

"As I was saying…" Professor Crowler continued, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance, "…to the surprise of everyone in the tournament, Akaine and Cesare's contentious deal was upheld! And to even greater surprise, they went on to win both singles and tag championships in this tournament-the only two to do both at the same time in the tournament's history! A rather amazing feat if I say so myself…"

At this, the Obelisk Blue professor puffed up in egotistical joy, his body language saying _'and if you think THEY'RE great, thank the person who's talking about them right now!'_

"…because we're going to be the school that does it **again**! Eight duelists from this very academy will be chosen to participate in this year's Chaos Showdown, and the rest of you will accompany them as spectators! I suggest you brush up on your dueling acumen between now and then…"

Crowler's gaze turned sharply to the surprisingly _alert_ Jaden Yuki, "ESPECIALLY-wait! Jaden, don't tell me you actually PAID ATTENTION throughout that lecture?!"

Jaden, put on the spot, managed to whip out a large grin. "Well, I did blank out once or twice, but you said it yourself right? This Chaos Showdown's a great way to meet new duelists, and I'm never going to doze through the chance to meet them!"

 _"The whole 'not having to worry about the school being taken over when I leave' part is a nice bonus too_!" he didn't say.

 _"I feel you're trying to tell me something…"_ Yubel playfully chided next to him. Jaden only responded with a light shrug.

"Again I'll ask; who are you and what have you done with that atrocious Slifer Slacker?" the Obelisk Blue headmaster demanded, bowing his head to hide his face-splitting smirk. "Because paying attention to ME would have done you a great deal of good sooner in this year, Jaden. Since you're willing to go over a new leaf, though, I'll oblige you. Now, open your textbooks, class, you've all got a lot to work on before that ferry comes aro-

And just as he turned up to face the class again, Jaden was asleep, the paper mockup of his open eyes having fallen off long ago. Fellow Obelisk Blue Syrus blanched at this and quickly plugged his ears-along with Alexis and Chazz-before Crowler's nuclear meltdown blared through the walls of the Academy.

"JAAAAADEN! NOW YOU'RE DOING THIS ON **PURPOSE!** AFTER ALL I'VE SACRIFICED FOR YOU AND YOUR WRETCHED SLIFER DORM, THE **VERY** **LEAST** YOU COULD DO IS-"

* * *

 **ASTRAL WORLD\NUMBER TIMELINE\TIME ?**

"-pay attention, Yuma!"

"Wait a sec, pay attention to-"

WHAK.

And this entailed Yuma's first experience with the gang in his second visit to the Astral World. Most notably, to the first building in his second visit to the Astral World.

Vector turned and balanced his nose on his fist to keep the wounded Duelist from seeing his smirk. Tori and Vetrix's family suddenly became heavily interested in the star-coated sky of the Astral World, though a chuckle escaped Vetrix's mask and Quattro's grin risked cutting into Quinton's face, by nature of its size and sharpness.

Shark…was a tad less shrouded in his disdain. "New world, new problems, same old Yuma."

"Another thing I could have enlightened you on long ago," said his fellow Galaxy-Eyes user, Mizar. He would have continued on his point of Yuma's bumbling demeanor had something in the alley of the sapphire glowing-buildings to his right had not caught his-or his fellow ex-Emperors'-attention.

A similar curiosity stopped Kite from pointing out his similar annoyances at Heartland City's Duel Champion. Speaking of which….

"Y'know guys, I'm still in pain here, any sort of concern would **really** go a long way!" Yuma's stopped clutching his reddened nose long enough to notice Kite's unceremonious brush past him, Orbital 7 trailing behind. "Wait, where are you going?"

"To the top of this world," was Kite's simple reply. "And even if I wasn't, getting as far away from this joke of an arrival as possible should be enough."

"Hey now, you're not exactly a saint either! Or do you want me to point out h-how…" And at this point, Yuma finally burst out into pearls of laughter.

Before Kite could ask what brought out that wild change in mood, Yuma did it for him. "Sorry, Kite. I mean…think of how far we've come. I mean"-and he gestured to the entire group they were with, which took second glances at each other, before Yuma's finger rested on Shark and his - "Just several days ago, these guys were the Barian Emperors-well and Empress, I almost forgot about Rio-" "-and were about to destroy the planet, and now they're all out of Don Thousand's shadow! Even Ray!"

"Hey now, that idiot was in MY shadow!" Vector objected, flaring his collar. "And we're all the better for the eventual triumph of the Ray Way! Isn't that right fel-"

Vector was met with a sea of humorously disbelieving glares from his fellow rulers, the rest of the Emperors not as forgetful of Vector's actions as he.

Yuma would not be deterred mid-speech, though. "And you Vetrix, you and I were at each other's throats at the Duel Carnival! An-and Trey, Quattro and Quin, you were ready to turn Heartland City into a crater for your crazy dad before-um, no offense."

"None taken, Yuma!" Vetrix's trademark grin-well, what little of it was visible behind his mask-told Yuma the water was off the back. "I'm far too powerful now for that to affect me!"

Shark visibly shuddered at the response. "How those words got scarier **after** he became good than they were **before** he became good, I'll never know."

"Or want to..." Rio added.

Yuma finally spread his arms at the display of camaraderie. "See Kite? I mean, and now we have a chance to high five the sky again, and save the Astral World again! Who wouldn't be happy at th-ok where'd he go? I was getting to the good part!" At this point, Yuma was risking whiplash from trying to locate Kite, until Vector tried to move past him and Yuma grabbed his arm. "NOT SO FAST RAY, WHERE'D YOU TAKE KITE!"

Vector pulled on a pout that in his Ray days, may have embarrassed Yuma enough into releasing him, but now "Wait, y'think I took that walking ice sculpture? Do I look like a person that would do something so craven?"

Now the looks the other six ex-Barians were shooting him could have made Vector an ice sculpture.

"I mean _lately_ , guys!"

"You tried to destroy us _two weeks ago_ ," deadpanned Dumon.

Whirling back to the same stony-faced Emperors, Vector's grin only grew. "My goodness, Dumon's gone into semantics, he's about to become evil again! You hold him down Yuma, I'll go for-"

"You'll do nothing and stop pestering my friends, in that order." Kite was back again, this time, looking disapprovingly on the scene from his flying Orbital 7."

"KITE! You're okay!" Yuma finally realized something. "Waitasec, we're in the Astral World to help Astral! What am I doing!"

"Another thing I've been wondering for months now." Kite finally touched down. "And your friend's in more trouble than I thought."

"Really? Did he tell you?" Tori asked.

"No, but…"

And then Kite pointed to the high tower of the Astral World, the one in which Yuma in one instance had fought Eliphas, with Astral's freedom-and his memories of Astral-on the line.

Which now seemed to be under a line of its own-the waterline, considering the sparkling falls jetting from every available opening like a splattering wound.

"…anything that did that to their base may be what we're looking to stop," Kite pointed out.

The realization of a clue to the new threat to Astral World finally perked up Vetrix. "Come on boys, we've got some scouting to do-I'm almost bursting with joy to see Astral again too!" chirped the Argent Patriarch, walking past his stunned sons.

Trey was first to notice the change in Vetrix's mood. "If I didn't see it myself…See ya soon, Yuma!" chirped the Chronomaly user.

"You're telling me what you've done with my real dad when we get back," Quattro chipped in, a knowing grin betraying his words as he left

"Do stay safe," added Quinton, as he turned to follow the others. "I would rather not have to come bail Kite from his newest mess."

This earned him a glare from his former protégé, roughly until the 5th second passed and both finally cracked jocular grins. "Hm. Guess Yuma does have a point," Kite finally admitted as Quinton turned on his heel and the Vetrix family set out for the flooded tower.

Yuma would have started jumping for joy-birds swimming, water flowing upwards, and Kite agreeing with him, he didn't think he'd see the day!-but the rumbling of the ground stopped him mind-spring.

Girag was one of the few remaining members of the group who wasn't thrown to the ground or forced into a clumsy rendition of the Charlie Brown dance due to the earthquake. "Think trouble's done waiting for us to find it, or…?"

"Oh believe me, when whoever did this shows up, I'll be the first to make it worth the wait!" Alito proclaimed.

However, it was Shark that was the first to notice exactly what was making all that rumbling possible-or the first to smell it, considering the brine-and his eyes widened at the hint.

"Guys, RUN! It's a **flash-flood!** "

"You're kidding right?" Mizar asked him. "Anything that moves that much water would've been visible long before we…"

Then, down the long alleyway that was in the opposite direction, Shark's prophecy came true as a barreling wave of water surged past the houses-and toward the still-disoriented gang.

"…course, I've been wrong before," muttered Mizar.

Milliseconds after that, he and company made a mad dash in the other direction, Kite again taking to the air with a currently fume-running Orbital 7.

"…oh g-g-goodness gracious Master K-Kite, I just flew y-you all the way here, couldn't we just leg it h-h-heere-?"

"Cram it 7, or I'm leaving you in the next pond-" another surge of water came dangerously close to them due to their lack of altitude, though Yuma and his friends-several feet ahead of them-were still keeping ahead of feeling this flow. "-assuming your shoddy flying doesn't do it **first!** "

"Kite, just get to higher ground, we'll follow you there!" Yuma yelled at them both. "C'mon, Astral, where are you!...thought it'd be you coming to us, not the thing that probably…"

* * *

 **THE SATELLITE\SIGNER TIMELINE\5:40 AM**

"…should be happening more often after all the times we've saved the world!"

"Anyone ever tell you what not to do with gift horses, Atlas?" Crow shot back at the Master of Faster.

For at Yusei's garage, the Signers were already being greeted by a rancorous party. Conquering the King of the Netherworld tends to have that effect in the Satellite.

"Welcome back, Yusei!" Trudge admitted, then caught himself immediately. "I said that out loud. I **actually** said that out loud!"

Leo quickly noticed this, though. "Don't worry Officer, it's alright! Yusei's a good guy and so are you! Besides, you're off-duty right now!"

"And this kid's made the most sense in the last hour." Trudge shook his head. "It really is Bizarro World, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but that's well behind us now!" Mima gladly admitted. "For now, let's party!"

Jack Atlas, having finished with the last of the celebrations a while ago, was outside, contemplating another note he had on him. The note simply read _You are invited to the Akaine All-Star Memorial Tournament. Proceeds go to the rebuilding of the Satellite_. "Perhaps Yusei, Crow and I could find some time for this…"

Without fail, Carly Carmine came up next to him. "Atlas alone and contemplating another fight. I'd almost call this typical if not for, well, the entire last month."

"Sorry about that." Jack finally turned to face her, grateful for her presence. "And it's nice to see you got your glasses fixed from before."

Carly ground her jaw a little at this. "And yet it's the only thing I remember about back then! Arrrgh, it's so **maddening!** Are you **sure** you can't tell me anything that happened when I was a…what did you call it…a Dark Signer?!"

Jack almost did, to spare her the misery, but the memories came flooding back from a dam too flimsy to ever hold it back long…

 _"Carly! Carly! Just hang in there Carly! You hear me?"_

 _Carly weakly looked up at the weary King. "Yes Jack, I hear you."_

 _"You're gonna make it through this," Jack reassured her._

 _"I know, Jack, I will." Then Carly's eyes glimmered all the more. "But not here."_

 _"No, don't say that! Look, I saved these for you." And with that Jack took out Carly's cracked glasses. With almost surgical precision, he placed the over the former Dark Signer's eyes, making her look just that more like the one he knew-not the one that didn't summon gigantic bird-monsters to destroy him, but the one who knew-and played-the combination needed to save him from the darkness._

 _On more occasions than this one._

 _"Thanks, Jack." Carly continued, her voice still faint and wavering. "But I don't want you to worry about me. Even though the Netherworld is calling for me, I'll be alright. I'm not scared." Carly immediately looked away from Jack. "And you shouldn't be either. We'll be together again someday."_

 _Jack's posture hardened in determination. "You're right." He was not talking about Carly's inevitable demise. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring you back. I'll never give up hope, and I'll never stop fighting for you, Carly!"_

 _Carly finally looked up at him once more._ _"I know you will Jack. That's why you're my number 1."_

 _Her gaze finally broke._

 _"Now then, I'm afraid it's time I get going."_

 _She then raised up and embraced Jack-a herculean feat considering it was immediately following 20-yard skid from her tumbling Duel Runner. Of course, Jack returned the hug._

 _"Goodbye Jack," Carly finally said, her voice lingering in Jack's mind, even as her body turned to blackened dust and blew away in Jack's arms._

"Just know that black doesn't work with you at **all** and leave it at that," Jack finally admitted.

Carly, finally granted a hint, grew a face-splitting grin. "And like that, the mystery deepens! Black clothing really signifies a heavily traumatic incident-don't know what it'd be for me to consider it, but it must be quick to make the change so fast! And considering what I was focusing on beforehand the only possible explanation could be…"

Jack's breath hitched in horror. _How did you figure that out from one clue?!_ he didn't bellow, mostly to save both of their whittling nerves.

"…that someone figured out my _peanut allergy!"_

And like that, Jack's breathing returned to normal. Well, considering.

"…a peanut allergy?"

"Of _course!_ " Carly declared finger in the air and glint in her eyes. "Had it since I was five-don't tell anyone else, by the way, journalism's hard enough as it is without handing the competition ammo!"

Carly continued on her theory, the glint only intensifying.

"Apparently, Divine found this out about me, which only serves just how deeply his Arcadia Movement served as a front to hide their true plans! **And I finally figured it out!** Thanks, Jack thanks so much!"And Carly quickly hugged Jack for it.

"Well…of course. You're welcome," Jack said flippantly.

However, Carly quickly broke the hug in a rush. "Oh, sorry Jack, nearly broke the conduct rules. Wow, it's hard to remember them all. Thankfully, I have them all right…." And Carly quickly started searching her jacket pockets for the handbook, unearthing an obscene amount of papers, cards, and spare glasses in the process.

The glasses, in particular, caught Jack's attention. Actually, it and the now 6 similar pairs of them now decorating the floor around the neurotic journalist. "Okay, I know the pair I gave back to you was damaged, but this may be overdoing it."

"Nonsense," Carly admitted. "Being prepared is the absolute least I can do if I'm going to expose the Arcadia Movement-oh COME ON where's that book?!" At this point, she was now shaking out her jacket for the book wildly.

"You could just interview Akiza and Misty-they've got a gold mine between them." Jack then noticed a small book under one of Carly's glasses cases and handed it to her. "Here you go. And speaking of, have you seen Akiza?"

"Said she had to go check with someone who said they could help her with her power. Never seen her so worried, though." Carly pointed out. "When I asked if Misty found her brother, Akiza said no and left. Or as I'm calling it now, the average Akiza response."

"So it's someone else from Arcadia?" Jacks eyes widened a bit. "Wait, is it another Psyc-"

Jack's question, though came to a screeching halt when an explosion rocked the small area nearby. Without fail, he charged to his nearby D-Wheel, nearly colliding with Carly, now currently trying to retrieve her ton of notes scattered on the floor. Jack quickly complied with a "SorryaboutthatCarlyI'llbeback!" and Carly responded in kind with a torrent of red rushing to her cheeks.

Jack's starting of his Duel Runner was only impeded by a blur of blue, black, and gold as Yusei bolted for his D-Wheel parked in front of his, the other Signers gathering around him.

"What's this all about, Yusei?" Jack demanded of him.

"That blast-I recognize the signature, that's Akiza's Black Rose Dragon!" Yusei responded, latching on his helmet, confirming Jack's fears. "If she's in that much trouble, I have to help her! And knowing how powerful she is…"

"…you want to make sure the people you have to help stays at one." Jack smiled. "Well, I'll be, Yusei. Back in shining armor mode, aren't we?"

"Don't need to be a knight in order to save," Yusei said, kicking his D-Wheel into high gear. "Get the others somewhere safe-anyone taking that much out of a Signer might come for the rest of us! Leave Aki and her opponent to me!"

And with this, Yusei took off, leaving Jack to handle the others. "And of course, he leaves me with the babysitting duties as well, the clever ponce."

"I love you too, Atlas," Crow sarcastically snapped.

"Come on, you whiners, we have work to do! Trudge arrived in his Duel Runner. "I'll help to evacuate the area, you gather the others-sometime **this** century if you don't mind!"

"Again I'll ask, why does he get the easy jobs?" Crow wondered, racing back inside the building with Jack. "I mean, you'd think after a while…"

* * *

 **DYSTOPIA OF DESIRE\?\?**

 _"…things would change in **any** of these worlds we came from…"_

 _This oddly continuous phrase came from the lips of a girl, sitting in front of a monitor in a long, high-ceiling room. Thunder flashed across the otherwise darkened chamber, serving as the third source of illumination besides the screens in front of her, and the pair of glowing eyes behind her._

 _"But no! These duelists have, one and_ all _ **,** provoked countless numbers of people to ruin reputations, destroy cities, take souls…"_

 _Upon those diamond-shaped screens, floating in the air, displayed three crystal clear images. The first was flickering between two groups of people-the first trying desperately to avoid being swept in the tide running through a starlit city with blue buildings barreling past them, led by a kid with red-on-blue spiked hair in a similarly-colored outfit. The second picture though, calmly motioned alongside a smaller group of four men-the one at front exuding an air of authority, though he was far shorter than the other three and currently had an oversized stone mask with one eyepiece knocked out perched upon his face. His blonde hair also stood out from the pink hair of the first kid, the streamlined silver hair of the second, and the brown-on-gold mop of the third._

 _"They've had their friends, their family, their mentors, their very Duel Monsters themselves out for their blood…."_

 _The second façade presented a look upon a concrete pier, in the shadow of a giant bridge brought on by the brightly glowing moon. Here, two more people were gathering, each holding scraps of paper-the first was in a tattered black jacket, black pants, and purple shirt. Tired as he looked from the disappearance of his normally haughty posture, though, his eyes were quite alert as he approached the pier. The other wanderer, heading from the grassy hills above, was similarly fatigued, constantly brushing her long blond hair behind the shoulders of her blue-white outfit. Yet she too sported a concerned look as she constantly double-checked her surroundings._

 _"And I can't recall another group of people in history as uninformed, as unprepared and as unfit of their powers as these...intellectual peons."_

 _The final scene had the makings of a heavy physical war at the top of a building, something more than just cocked fists and loaded words. The scene was strewn with heavy craters, but one person was clearly triumphant-a girl with lime-green hair tied into two curling drills, kept loosely together by a metallic horn spearing through them. She was calmly pursuing another girl, whose now-loose scarlet hair was blocking her hung face from view. The black-red aura surrounding this girl, however, gave a more convincing tell to the girls' condition, as it was madly flickering and ebbing as if badly damaged._

 _"Yet they just cannot wait to bring out their inner visionary with their talk of their drive, and chance, and feeling the flow. Flow. **Indeed**. As if a stream of hot garbage that flows from their mouths deserves anything but a **drain ditch.** As if people happy with being second best to a city of vapid fools deserves anything but **opprobrium**. As if a place that spawned and attracted as many worthless has-beens and never-weres as Duel Academy…."_

 _Above the viewer's head, the glowing eyes narrowed in agreement. The girl watching these scenes stopped mid-rave and craned her head up to meet them._

 _She did not react in surprise or terror though. In fact, a small grin finally cut across her face, before she lowered back to watch the screens again, another crack of lighting nearly cutting off her next words._

 _"So you have been listening. Perfect. Another thing these Duelists don't do enough of." The girl once again turned her head, this time down to the set of cards whistling through her fingertips. "But then again, after knowing what we know, what can one do but listen?"_

 _The girl finally stood up, the screens winking away. "So perhaps it's time to see why so many still choose to listen to them." With this, the girl turned to the door of this room. The figure behind this girl, still cloaked in shadows save for its glowing blue eyes, followed her. Its feet made none of the_ clickclickclicks _that the girl's metal boots upon marble did, betraying her grace almost as well as the flawlessness of her strides accentuated them._

 _But before the girl's hand could reach the door, it swung open the other way. Almost immediately the tall, slim form of another man filled the thresh, shrouding the girl once more._

 _A second passed before "Ah, cousin. Lucky you. Anyone else ruining my observation time would be admiring the storm in the first person."_

 _"First they'd have to get past me." The man grinned, showing off a set of perfect teeth. "And there isn't a storm in the world that wouldn't be preferable to facing **me**."_

 _"Don't I know." The girl adjusted to lean on one end of the thresh, while the man adjusted backward to give her more space, finally illuminating the locks of black hair swaying over her left eye. "So is everyone else in position?"_

 _"Evy took down the Black Rose Witch an hour ago; Save should be starting in on her knights in shining armor..." the man continued, counting them off on his fingers. "And if Tidus and Percy's last transmissions are any clue, their bait's circling at the hooks as well."_

 _"So I've seen." The girl took notice of her shadowed friend again. "Which reminds me-seriously-" and this next question was posed to the looming figure above them both, its various wings shielding its form from whatever light the other two didn't block- "-what is with us living in darkness every time a storm hits? It's not like we have to worry about power outages **here**."_

 _The figure didn't respond._

 _"Look, playing 'mum's the word' wasn't funny when we started this plan, and it's been digging past rock bottom since," the girl complained, fully turning to face the figure. "You have a problem, that's fine, but meanwhile-"_

 _"It's about that Yuki squirt."_

 _The girl stopped mid-speech, the "Eh?" clearly written on her face._

 _"Or rather, what I still don't remember about him," the figure continued. "For some reason, I feel like I've seen him before. And the Duel Spirits he's talked to…I've never felt such power since…."_

 _The figure straightened again. "Never mind. I'll conjure the portal to take your cousin to duel Princeton and Rhodes." Turning, the figure motioned with a talon-edged hand, and a shard of energy promptly tore down through the wall next to the other two, before splitting into a humming blue rift._

 _The man quickly saluted the figure before tromping into the rift, adjusting the dials on his Duel Disk before the rift zipped back up behind him, fading into a cloud of sparks_

 _Task completed, the figure turned back into the empty room, only to crane the head to meet the girl once more. "And as for the darkness, that's what happens when you look at an intricately carved room inside an abode that once belonged to the **sacred gods of a faraway world** and ask "would it kill to put a dimmer switch here?"_

 _With that final word, the figure stormed back in, the girl following in turn._

 _"A mistake I believe I apologized for **before**." As the mystery girl turned to follow the wayward figure, the hint of a spike of white hair stood out before being obscured again._

 _"Of course, that mistake pales to the one these 'heroes' of the three worlds made …"_

 _The third shock of light burst through the room again-not from the lightning strike, but from the glowing silver card being jutted out from the girl's outstretched hand-one that showed the visage of a jester in white garb being flanked by two feline-like skeletal figures._

 _"..when their dishonor made them the enemy of **The Aspect."**_

* * *

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED**_


	2. Open Season pt1 (with Extra Scene)

**HERO TIMELINE/DUEL ACADEMY/8:50 PM**

"Guess you've got two new things to look forward to uncovering, Yubes."

Jaden was currently inside of his room, the day concluded and homework successfully put off until tomorrow, now talking to his Duel Spirit. Currently, he was holding out a package to her, and she was currently trying to figure out the reasoning behind it.

 _"…_ _Why Jaden, this is so kind of you. But…why?"_

Jaden quirked an eyebrow.

"…well, since we got back from that mess over in the Spirit World, and I fused with you, I never really got a chance to show you just how much you've helped me since," Jaden then sheepishly smiled again. "Earthquake alarms aside."

 _"_ _Maybe I should do them more often if you'll reward me like this…."_ The trademark mischievous grin cut Yubel's face in half once more.

"Please don't! Seriously, Drs. Bonaparte, and Crowler nearly wet themselves that time-they thought you'd gone crazy and brought back the Sacred Beasts again!" Jaden pleaded.

 _"I was not exactly thrilled by the experience either,"_ Dr. Banner added, thanks to being a temporary beneficiary of his holder and Jaden's on-off pet, Pharoah, and his open-mouthed sleeping habits.

 _"Don't worry Jaden. As much as I would happily do for you, THOSE days are behind me."_ Yubel finally took the cards, them becoming as transparent as she was by her touch. _"And good riddance."_

Brightening up notably at this, the Winged Kuriboh finally peered from behind Jaden's back, chirruping happily.

"Yeah, I know Kuriboh. And you know what? I am glad Yubel's back." Turing to the aforementioned Duel Spirit, Jaden continued.

"So these are another card type I created before. Since you ran a lot of plants and roses in the Deck you had before, these sweet cards are all Plants! They're actually called the Venis, and-"

Just then, a BANG BANG BANG cracked off of Jaden's dorm door. This ended up sending Sgt. Hassleberry on an uncomfortable trip to the floor.

Untangling himself, the Ra Yellow quickly addressed the situation with his usual flair. "JADEN, SOUND OFF! We're bein' attacked! Battle stations, man, battle stations!"

"Chill, Sarge!" Jaden quickly hustled to the door, still keeping a wide berth from the dinosaur duelist in the process. "It's just someone at the door. I wonder who it-"

The person answered for them, almost crashing headlong through the unlocked door into Jaden. The light purple hair, though, was an instant giveaway. "Blair, it's you! Why were you so frantic?"

"Yeah, ma'am…wait, what it something Chazz did?" Tyranno immediately demanded, his anger focusing on a new target.

"No, but he and Alexis are in trouble anyway!" Blair cried. "Somebody asked them both to come out to the same place! The second they were, he dueled them at the same time!"

"Hmph. And how badly did they humiliate him?" Tyranno asked, folding his arms.

Blair turned to him, and it was then that Jaden got a good look at her wide-eyed, disheveled appearance.

"That's where it gets messed up! He beat them both _in one turn_!"

"What?!" Jaden almost yelled, starting his comrade once again. "How'd that happen?"

"I don't know! After their turns passed, he just summoned this gigantic dragon-everything they did to destroy it just made it stronger, he cut them both down with it in one turn!" Blair yelled. "Then he noticed me watching the entire thing and before I could get away…

* * *

 _...the figure finally turned to Blair. Even in the bushes, she could tell that the person had known she was there the entire time._

 _Her theory was confirmed when the man motioned to the dragon, and it unleashed a shot at the base of the tree she was in. Though she was far from the blast, and the blast was barely even critical, the impact caused her to tumble down anyway._

 _Scrambling to her feet, Blair came face-to-foot with the figure, now directly in front of her. Thankfully he did not advance a further step, instead choosing to fold his arms and wait until Blair shakily rose to her feet._

 _"…_ _.okay, what in the world is your PROBLEM?!" Blair finally demanded of the figure._

 _"_ _Not what. Who." The figure finally produced a picture from his coat and thrust it into the girl's hands. Turing on his heel immediately afterward, he continued._

 _"_ _That person you see in that picture has become quite a heavy thorn in my boss's side. Him….and his Duel Spirits."_

 _Blair did take a look at the person in the photo, and her eyes widened-for it was Jaden, battling Aster Phoenix. Then something struck her mind. "Wait...how do you know who Jaden is? And how do you know he can see Duel Spirits?"_

 _The person chuckled._

 _"_ _Right, forgot-this is still a time where such people are a rarity. Well, know that he's far from alone and that if he doesn't face me at the bridge in the next ten minutes…"_

 _The dragon-still focused on Blair even from afar-suddenly moved once more, its claws scraping the ground of the pier and taking up both Chazz and Alexis in its talons. This did a quick job of waking them up-and spelling out the mystery man's threat._

 _"_ _What the-?! AAAAHHH!" came the reply from Chazz as he stared at the beast. "Someone get me down from here! NOW!"_

 _"_ _Let them GO!" screamed Blair, racing past her tormentor to rescue them-before the figure and the dragon's steely glare toward her sent her backpedaling in the other direction._

 _"_ _Think I've made my point. Run along now, and be sure to tell them…"_

* * *

 **SIGNER TIMELINE/THE SATELLITE/6:06 PM**

"…that whoever's starting this needs to stop before this entire block gets hurt!"

So was the declaration from the Satellite Shooting Star, as he raced over to Akiza's staging grounds. And considering what these individuals-these Signers-had gone through since their scarlet insignia had flashed upon their skin, very few would blame Yusei for his suddenly aggressive tempo.

Even then, his mind filled with the many horror stories of the fragile-though insurmountably powerful-Psychic Duelist, how Akiza had gone through so much abandonment and manipulation, by the cult-like Arcadia movement, and family and friends alike.

Until she faced down Yusei.

Until she found her way out of the pain and her independent run.

And now somebody was starting it up with her again? Did they not even know of Misty Tredwell? Sayer? The multitudes of victims in the Fortune Cup?

Suddenly, Yusei Fudo suddenly started feeling like he was probably going to have to save the instigator from _Akiza_. Quickly steeling himself, he all but ran off the D-Wheel the second he got in front of the half-constructed building Akiza had done battle in.

Mentally thanking himself for not snapping an ankle or two on impact, he de-linked his Duel Disk from the motorcycle and turned to the building, ready to storm.

 ** _BL-BLAHAM!_**

Only for a red wave of power to shatter another floor's worth of windows, causing Yusei to dive back under the protective arch of his D-Wheel to avoid instant skewering from the falling glass.

 _"_ _Seriously, Akiza?"_ wondered Yusei amidst the echoes of shatters. _"How powerful is your opponent, to have to do this much damage?"_

How much indeed, for such a display from a Duelist head and shoulders above any normal human?

And now the pendulum was swaying back to a potential Akiza rescue mission. The situation was literally looking worse for the minute-but better him to solve it than another, far less sympathetic type of enforcement in New Domino.

Though this probably meant that he would have to face that instigator himself-someone who was giving a **_Psychic Duelist_ **enough strain to use her powers on them.

Yep. Worse by the minute. _Definitely_ getting…

* * *

"…worse for you, Black Rose!"

Akiza would _seriously_ prefer that her heart stop banging in her chest so much. It was already tough enough getting away from her opponent's grasp. It took a rush of raw power to just the right spots when her accomplice left, then she bolted as hard as possible. Now her foe's…monsters…were prowling the entrances to the stairway, and the maestro of it all was sitting right in front of the elevator shaft.

In other words, the Signer's plans A and B were out the window.

Yet she could hear someone pulling up to it. Sounded like a motorcycle too. Yusei? Jack? One of the other Signers?

Or more of her foe's friends?

Seriously, how in the world did so many powerful people come to be? And WHY were they all looking to pick a fight with HER?

Akiza's mind then clicked.

Something that this girl was screaming at her during the apex of her duel. When she Summoned her ace in the hole, Black Rose Dragon, on her last 900 slivers of life. What was it...something about how she had….

* * *

 _"_ _RUINED ARCADIA WITH THAT DRAGON!" shouted her opponent, who was utterly disturbed by the unveiling of Akiza's trump card-but not in the way that Akiza's opponents usually were._

 _Defiant rage instead of mounting fear?_

 _Surely she must have seen this monster before! Or heard of its incredible power!_

 _But that was impossible-the only way she could have, if not through the Fortune Cup, would be through her time in the Arcadia Movement…_

THAT WAS IT! This mystery foe! This woman who had called herself Evy-must have been part of the Movement, much like Misty!

It would even explain the potency of her powers-how could THAT come without exquisite training?!

 _"_ _And you have the utter nerve to bring that Synchro before me AGAIN?!"_

 _"_ _I DO!" Akiza's triumphant words erupted from a cascade of crimson locks finally freed from her power-restraining pin-along with her capacity for patience with the vengeance-mad Psychic Duelist. "And here's how! By banishing a Plant-Type monster from my graveyard, I can turn a defending monster of YOURS, to Attack Position. And its ATK goes right to 0 as well-which means this duel's one attack away from being over!"_

 _And with that monster called "_ _ **Archendo, the Torque Mythic**_ _" as her intended target-the Defense Position monster left all alone after her well placed **Fickle Fly-Trap Hole**_ swallowed _up its buddies_ _ **Ariana**_ _and_ _ **Tiago**_ _a turn prior-Akiza and her Signer Dragon were well positioned for victory. After all, even with 1800 LP to her name against Aki's 600, Black Rose Dragon could easily steamroll the Torque user flat._

 _Until Evy's next words mentally flattened her._

 _"_ _Believe me, Akiza-that dragon will cause YOUR demise, not mine! And it's thanks to my structure!"_

 _Looking back-good gracious, that bird nearly caught a glimpse of her as she ducked her head-Akiza wondered how the game would have gone had she used Black Rose Dragon's prior ability and destroyed the whole field, that "_ _ **Torque Mausoleum**_ _" included. As it was she had been awestruck by how that towering building, whose original purpose only seemed to protect her WIND monsters' effects from negation…_

 _"…_ _has one final ability! See, this Mausoleum allows me to sacrifice it to perform a Synchro Summon-even during your turn!"_

 _And while this woman Evy spoke, the towers were slowly being whipped away by high-velocity winds, all too real to the red-haired Psychic as well. "But the news is only getting worse for YOU, Akiza, because it's final ability allows me to use another Synchro Monster on both ends of the field to make the Summon possible if I'm Synchro Summoning a WIND Synchro Monster!"_

 _Now Akiza's eyes widened in fear as she realized the mystery girl's endgame._

 _The former Black Rose Witch now knew why Evy had let Black Rose go unimpeded upon its arrival-so she could use it to summon something of her own!_

 _This entire Duel was a SETUP!_

 _Even as the wind picked up, Evy-still in the eye of it alongside her disintegrated castle-looked almost tree-like in her rigidity. "And it seems you know what I'm going to use too. Congratulations to you…"_

 _Then Black Rose Dragon finally roared again. This time it was in pain, as the pieces of the mausoleum came together in a glowing sphere, and shot out violent bolts of emerald lightning-several hitting the Signer Dragon._

 _"…_ _and goodbye to your Black Rose Dragon! Now and_ _ **forever**_ _!" Evy's manic tone found its way back as she spread her arms wide, as if in hope of palming the violent energy sphere in her card-empty hands all by herself._

 _And with that, the sphere shot a continuous barrage of lighting at Black Rose, and despite its wails-and Akiza's jaw-gaping look of horror-turned into the same green energy. On Evy's field, the same thing was happening to her Torque mythic, though its cries went unheard by its master._

 _Without another second to lose, both columns of energy dissipated into the sphere, and the all-too-familiar golden speedometer rings burst from the electrical anomaly, signaling Evy's grand move._

 _But for those of you at home…_

 _"_ _I tune my Level 4 Torque Mythic, Archendo, with YOUR Level 7 Black Rose Dragon, to Synchro Summon…"_

 _The column of light grew bigger and bigger, almost swamping the room and Akiza with it._

 _"_ _Now's my chance!" Akiza thought._

 _Yet now, her awesome mental strength had apparently forsaken her, as the creature Evy summoned thrust its head out of the dying film of light. All three of them._

 _Six glowing eyes affixed themselves upon their latest prey as Evy finally bellowed, "…the_ _ **Torque Triumvirate-Jarin, Dynas and Hoi**_ _!"_

Several seconds later, Akiza's LP faded away to 0, her jarring impact with the wall being the only thing keeping her from following suit.

 _When the girl made toward her again-to take her stated prize in the beginning, Akiza's Psychic powers-she obliged, through one manifested Seed Cannon._

 _Evy's cry set her heart-and feet-racing again, and Akiza bolted down the stairs from their cataclysmic clash, one thought now wholly occupying the mind of the former Black Rose Witch._

 _"_ _I have to find the other Signers…have to find Yusei…anyone that exerts this much power…"_

* * *

"...will demand my best when I face them down!"

Yusei's rushed walk past the cloaked figures crowding the entrance to the half-constructed building would normally not have drawn his eye-even in the Satellite, there weren't exactly many places of luxury for its residents to currently rest their laurels at night-if not for two immediate issues that propped up the second he touched the doorknob.

1) The rush of adrenaline Yusei had felt had blinded him to the exact nature of what these stragglers looked like-with their unnaturally pale, yet healthy looking skin, their dimly glowing eyes, their bared teeth-signs that these strangers he was trying to get past were not entirely what they seemed.

2) Trying would soon become the operative term in regards to his Signer rescue mission due to the comically large pieces of weaponry and blades the five strangers carried-a scythe, a spiked shield, a scimitar, a pair of gauntlets, and a rail-cannon-which would all be levied either in front of his body or at Yusei's head the second that the Satellite Shooting Star touched the door.

"Exactly what's going on?!" he yelled at the five intruders. "And what are you still doing around here? There's a Psychic Duel happening now, get away!"

Yusei's stolen glance at the blown-out top floors of the complex did not make the stranger's weapons lower an inch-nor did it change the decibel of the new arrival's voice, coming upon a Duel Runner themselves.

" _There_ you are. So glad I caught you in time."

But to Yusei's surprise, this rider was not Jack Atlas-in fact, he could not tell who it was, as the cockpit of the Duel Runner was protected by a bubble of black metal, the same as the one that made up the body of the vehicle. Sleek and shining, the bright shapes the moon cut out in the Duel Runner seemed to be all that separated it from the light-bare road Yusei had pulled off of. But the equally white lines outlining the strange vehicle brought up a more chilling possibility of who this mystery guest could well be.

"You do realize it's dangerous for you to be here right?" Yusei pleaded with her. If these weapon-sporting strangers were her cohorts… "And if these are your goons, tell them to back off!"

The Duel Runner-and the person inside it-simply revved the engine in response, the near-painful glare of the white outlines forcing Yusei to shield his eyes.

When they died down, the voice came out again, cracked and vibrant-almost oddly so. "Don't see why. Considering you and I are about to spend some…quality time together. Plus…."

And with that, the strangers parted to allow a clear Path between Yusei and his Duel Runner, though the twin blades impeding his path to the door stayed put. "…these darlings don't much like being called 'goons.'"

"I'm not sure why I should care- one of my friends is stuck up there an-"

"She'll be okay." The Duel Runner backed up again. "I'm what YOU have to worry about now, though. Actually looking forward to seeing how you fare in a Turbo Duel against me, though. Win, you get to continue playing the shining knight."

Yusei looked at the building, then finally relented. "For your sake, you'd better be telling the truth. Now call them off."

"Sure thing." And at the rider's whistle, all five of the would-be-bodyguards threw off their cloaks…

…and vanished into thin air. Shocked, Yusei looked at the thin air they once occupied, then back to his new obscured nemesis, before stonily walking over to his D-Wheel, the realization of what could very well be happening now banging around his skull like a firecracker. How in the world did that….?

Oh _NO._

If they were monsters…and the mystery rider had full reign over them to the extent they manifested themselves…even the Duel Runner should have given it away!

But how in the _world_ did a Dark Signer survive after Goodwin's ascension?!

And why strike now?!

Yusei didn't dare to ask why their signature Earthbound Immortals-those terrifying soul-harvesting battle-immune monstrosities-hadn't shown up yet-and by extension if such a move was because they hadn't been pushed hard enough to _need_ to Summon them.

But add in that they'd likely taken down Akiza first, and this might be…

* * *

 **NUMBER TIMELINE/ASTRAL WORLD/?**

"..the craziest thing I've ever been involved in."

The response arrived from the flooded high tower of the eponymous realm. Sitting at the edge of one of the waterfalls erupting from the broken formation of the tower, almost looking ready to fish it from the reel he held in his hands, was a kid with a mop of scruffy teal-blue hair slightly pointed backward, and a nearly identical beard of the same color. Though, what he was hoping to catch seemed to be rather eccentric, as the lure at the end of his reel was a customized blue Duel Disk with white curling highlights and golden gems set into its base. "And I'm _already_ starting to regret coming back to this timeline."

"Speak for yourself, my brother-in-arms…" said the person next to him, clad in silver and gold robes, a near perfect contrast with his 'brother's' silver and blue sleeveless suit-and currently flicking two cards in his hands. Both of which had black star-crossed borders. "…this moment's been a long time in the making for me."

"You're still up over that Kite fellow?" The blue-haired man looked to face him. "Thought that our goal was to test out Yuma and Shark, mate."

"They can wait. That…Photon-using prick…is the one who fleeced my flock for his single-minded quest for Numbers." Finally, the robed man's shuffling stopped. "And I WILL keep this tragedy from being my portion in this world."

"Ooooh, so mystic here," Then the kid stopped, reeling up his Duel Disk as a thought flashed through his head. "You're not using that new Galaxy-Eyes monster you made are you?"

"And if I am?"

"We're supposed to keep the outside damage to a _minimum._ This plan's supposed to be precise, Percy!" The kid almost stood up in surprise, though his reeling in continued. "And that monster you've made is completely unstable! There won't be an Astral World left if you-!"

"That there IS an Astral World left after you broke out the floodgates to handle Eliphas is a miracle, Tidus!" Percy shouted back at his fellow traveler. "And nothing is too good, nor any damage too great, to ensure that heartless lunatic never harms another Duelist again! Assuming he hasn't in my absence! People are still CARDS because of his actions! Or have you forgotten-?!"

At that moment Tidus finally retrieved his Duel Disk, latched it onto his arm in one swift motion, and levied it at Percy's head, cutting him off mid-rant. Before Percy could continue, Tidus then whipped out a small picture of his own-featuring a girl with pink-silver hair, white clothing, and a customized Duel Disk.

"You. Are NOT. The only person in the Aspect. Who's lost someone they care about to these Number Hunters." With that, Tidus turned on his heel again, idly noticing the wave that was chasing the group had now ascended three stories high but was still slow enough for their run to put it a respectable distance. "And pretending you are is impressing no one but Save."

"Save can handle herself, you worry about splitting the group." Percy finally activated one of his cards onto his Duel Disk, and a gigantic red-gold phoenix with four legs suddenly appeared above the breached tower. "And make sure you find that Astral fellow too-letting him get away with Eli may cost us later."

"When they show themselves, man, calm yourse-" And then, Tidus noticed a rather familiar white-and-gold-armored warrior using its makeshift shields to divert the flow of the tidal wave. "Speaking of such. Guess we have to get our feet wet anyways."

Another card activation lit up the tower, and soon, more monsters erupted, following the ebbing waterfall to the group that had been chased by its stream….

Well, until a certain observant oddity and his Number stepped in.

"UTOPIA, USE LIGHTWAVE SHIELD!"

And with the Xyz Warrior's attack, the water parted. Astral would appear a second afterward, slightly banged up. Staggering behind him was Eliphas, clearly showing the effects of a brutal Duel in this monster-manifesting dimension. But in front of him was a far more unstable Yuma Tsukumo.

"ASTRAL! It's so great to see you again-I mean, I never thought you'd be in any trouble-but we still came as fast as we could to help you-and-and-" Tori's thumping hand on Yuma's head straightened the Duel Carnival Champion's thoughts-and more than several of his wild locks. "S-sorry Tori. Anyways, what's the danger we have to face?" Yuma took a side glance to Utopia, still splitting the surge of water around the group. "Besides the _plumbing,_ of course."

Astral's eyebrows lifted. "Plumbing, Yuma?"

"Explain another time, Yuma," Eliphas panted. "Right now, our Astral World is currently under invasion by another world that is fusing with ours. Their champions have already confronted us. And I…have not fared well against them."

"Wait, what world?" Rio asked, moving to the wavering Eliphas, "I mean, we've seen the waterfalls, but-."

The second Rio's hand came into contact with Eliphas' shoulder, her questions were instantly answered, as her eyes shot to the sky and her sentence ended in a scream.

For the aforementioned world-apparently only visible to the Astral entities, loomed over the formerly starry sky of the Astral World like a twisted mirror's reflection. Scattered among that parallel dimension was a wasteland of charcoal-black craters and ruined buildings with lighting roaring into the sky of Astral World like hungry vipers. And along the outline of the dimensional hole was an endless column of sickly flickering white-yellow light, the sky itself looking as if it had come aflame with a way-too-close black sun in its epicenter.

Needless to say, the sight was not welcome to the former Barian's eyes-or the Barian king's, either, once Shark latched on to Rio to stop her screaming and was similarly stunned by the new view. "Yuma, may want to take a look at this."

"C'mon Shark, can't it wait till we figure out who's flooding this place-YAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Yuma had now bared witness to Rio and Shark's vision. "Astral, what is THAT?!"

"That…is like nothing I have seen before, Yuma." With another motion, Utopia's long-held Lightwave Shield ripped a chasm in the empty road, channeling the water from the stream, and buying him enough time to properly address his best friend. "But it is not all. The two warriors that have come from that world…

"…are coming for us right now!" The cry came from Kite, and the eyes of the large group all turned to him

Immediately, those eyes also widened at the gigantic phoenix-like bird screaming out of the air and towards them. The rumble at ground level hinted at the arrival of another threat, coming with a new surge of water that threatened to wash over the entire group. "Everyone, Summon your Xyz Monsters, now!" Eliphas yelled, readying his Duel Disk. "The Numbers that were once of your world are at our disposal, but we must hurry!"

The obliging Duelists called upon the Overlay Network in earnest.

"Go, **Dododo Wizard** and **Number 55: Gogogo Goliath!"**

"Crush 'em whole, **Bahamut Shark** and **Number 73: Abyss Splash!** "

In almost record-setting fashion, a horde of Xyzes started flittering out to back-up Utopia, and his four fellow Xyzes-until the growing pool to the left of Utopia starting bubbling again.

And without a warning, the wave came up again-this time, though as a gravimetrically impossible wall of liquid that started ringing around the various Xyzes, separating them-and their holders- from each other. Everyone, of course, except Mizar and Kite- the former only having enough warning to use his summoned Galaxy Stealth Dragon to take to the skies and evade impact, the latter already airborne and now spinning with Orbital 7 to avoid the crashing tides.

Only this time, the waves did not simply recede, they transformed-into the tentacles of a thoroughly oversized jade-green octopus monster. In its clutches were most of the Xyz squadron, now wrapped up in its many tentacles.

"Yuma!"

"Astral!"

Surprisingly, this dual cry did not come to its recipients from their other friends, now currently in the vicinity of a large sea monster-the shock of its arrival had bought their stunned silence. The reply instead came from the sky, where one Galaxy-Eyes user's Xyz dragon and the other's all-purpose android were currently jetting to face the phoenix-carried man still heading towards them. "We'll keep this intruder off your back-keep that monster away from your friend's backs!" Mizar yelled.

"Right!" Yuma and Astral then turned to face the beast, whose eyes now locked on the group-several of whom reeled at the intensity of the stare-Shark and Rio nearly dropping Eliphas in the process. "Ready, Astral?"

"It's been too long," replied the oddity. "And now..."

* * *

 **DYSTOPIA OF DESIRE/?/?**

"...their little games come to an end," said the Aspect leader, looking into the blight-white sky of the Dystopia of Desire. "Ironic, considering what started them."

And the Astral World stared back at her through a gap in the sky, the barriers of the world now held by a widening circle of electricity, fueled by the lightning bolts spawning out of the world that the sprawling Dystopia of Desire floated above.

"Time to Duel."

And with that her silver-bordered card left her hand-and shot into the atmospheric breach, the white-clad warrior within it coming to life as the hit the thresh.

* * *

 ***** EXTRA SCENE/NUMBER TIMELINE/? ******

The skyrocketing of a figure through the warped sky of the Astral World-and toward the great tower-was noticed by Kite and Mizar.

They, however, would soon put it out of their minds as the phoenix carrying their newest opponent, Percy, finally managed to hit one of them with a gout of flames-in this case, Kite Tenjo. His similar trajectory to the ground-accompanied by Orbital 7's proclamations of doom, gloom and rusting into nothingness-would be stopped only by Mizar and Galaxy Stealth Dragon swooping down and grabbing him. They would head for the spire-like towers to touch down, and Percy would follow them.

The next person to realize it was the cosmic crusader Astral, at the start of his attempt to perform a ZeXal Morph with Yuma, along with the rest of his friends at hand.

This being-shrouded in a comet-like trail of purple flames-not only took his attention but left Yuma at a rather awkward pose in front of the menacing sea monster looming over him.

But the third and final 'charm' in seeing the spiraling silhouette was from Vetrix and his family. "Well, this journey of ours just picked up, hasn't it!" the Argent Patriarch said as he noticed the light of the phenomenon.

"Wait, what are you talking a…bout…." Quattro's inquiry was drawn away upon noticing the figure. Trey was similarly stunned.

It was Quinton, however, that realized the implications of the ominous sign. "We need to move, Quattro! All of us! **Now**!"

Because the figure's trajectory was not a straight line-but a curve. A curve that was now making a direct, several-hundred-mile an hour-beeline for the four Duelists of Argent Chaos.

They would only put out seven feet of separation from the incoming entity-Vetrix through a wildly uncharacteristic barrel roll-before the figure touched down and tore a trench in front of the Astral Tower's entrance.

Needless to say, whoever had arrived was in a mad rush to destruction. And it seemed that so was the rest of Team Yuma.

* * *

 **Let's begin bringing back the Tinklebell of Context with these two chapters up and over with.**

 **So right now, we've covered 4 of the 6 members of the Aspect in terms of personality, let's shine a tad more light on it before the second part of Open Season.**

 ** _Percy_ \- is kinda a bit of a zealot. But he's a good reason for his anger-and it includes a rather unfortunate and unresolved part of Kite's former life as a Number Hunter. Anyone who's heard of Number 56: Gold Rat may know what this entails. **

**_Tidus_ \- is a more laid-back man, but he's lost a person** **too, and blames it on one of Yuma's friends. Want a hint here? Look at the monsters Shark summons. Tidus definitely will, and it'll cut a chance encounter with Vetrix's family short _(_ _oooooooooh_ _,_ spoilers.) **

**_Evy_ \- oh baby, what is it with them getting mad at specific peripheral heroes and their flagship monsters? Almost like there's a method to their madness...? But yes, she is the Torque user-and another Signer will be facing her in the next chapter, don't you worry Akiza fans. Look at the last chapter, it should be clear.**

 **?- Is the mysterious Duelist who cuts off Yusei from rescuing Akiza. Don't wanna give too much away on them, especially considering their tendency to secrecy-but notice the weaponry on their charges-and also the fact there are five of them-and finally, that they appear to be animate monsters.**

 **We'll be continuing this episode arc soon, folks. Stay tuned!**


	3. Open Season pt2

**D'Sceptre Inc. is back with a brand new chapter of ASPECT, folks, and this one has more twists than a rollercoaster made of Twizzlers inside a spring factory.**

 **So let's get right to it. Notice the three new characters about to make their mark in this chapter, gentlemen-one from a bonus scene in the chapter previous by yours truly. Aren't you glad for that change?**

* * *

 **NUMBER TIMELINE/ASTRAL WORLD/?**

"GO, ZEXAL MORPH!"

This proclamation, usually made in sync with Astral, may have had more impact if Astral's focus was not occupied by the rogue meteor streaking across his homeland's sky. Yuma proclaiming it twice further did not bring Astral back to the issue at hand. The arrival of a new voice to this chaotic scene, though…

"Ah yes, the… _Super Secret Number Cruncher Intimidation Crew_ , are you? New and improved, too!"

That no one obliged his request for a "high ten"-least of all Girag, who whirled a head dripping with water toward him and responded "AN' JUST WHO ARE **YOU** NOW?!"-could have been for several reasons. Perhaps it was because of the ornate Duel Disk on his left wrist-now sparking a holographic cardholder that looked like a set of large, flattened spikes. Maybe it was the teen's odd appearance-a mop of teal-blue hair and a light dusting of a beard of the same color, plus the crisp suit would definitely look out of place in the brightly lit Astral World. But it was likely the fact that their mystery critic was riding in on a whale-like fish that may have stunned them. "Wow, it's like we're friends. Except not. Now tell me why you're here."

" _You know_ very _well_ \- " Astral started.

An explosion of water stopped his retort, in almost preface sync with Tidus's flashing eyes. It had come from the octopus creature, which caused the Xyz Monsters being held in its grasp to fade off in a sea of glowing shards. Every drop of water that didn't end up drenching the ex-Barians or Tori, though, floated in the air as a gigantic bubble of liquid, before sucking itself away in a flurry of streams into the deck holder of Tidus' Duel Disk. It would end up turning into another card of its own, to the group's shock. "I. Was not. Asking you," Tidus snapped, his dialogue stinted by his fury. "I was asking the Number Hunters."

Yuma spluttered. "W-wait, you did all this just to get us here?"

"Yes I did, and believe me, it's exactly what I thought my first encounter with you all should feel like." Tidus's neutral expression finally broke into a snarl. "You're all homewrecking, life-ruining snakes and it may not be impartial enough for a detective to say, but I personally feel worse for knowing I _share your air._ "

"How _dare_ you!" yelled Rio. "We've done nothing to you, so buzz off!"

"And how did YOU get all the way over to the Astral World?!" Dumon inquired.

"Both questions would be better directed to the person who took _everything_ from me!" And with that, Tidus whipped a finger to point directly… at Shark.

A sea of gasps spilled forth from the former Emperors.

"After what your friend - and I use that term _loosely_ **-** did to Kite and Mizar, whatever you're accusing Nasch of doing'll b-" Another surprising action cut Alito's promo short - this time, the hand of his ex-leader in front of his face.

"Listen, whoever you are…" And with this, Shark took a couple of steps forward, even with Rio reaching out to futilely stop his advance. "…I know we've done some serious damage as Barian Emperors. And I'm not gonna pretend that we don't have a lot to answer for, even now. But know this... " And with that, Reginald spread his arms to the water-drenched city of the Astral World. "... destroying this Astral World isn't going to make up for us nearly destroying another! If you need to Duel someone over this, Duel ME!" Shark pulled out his Duel Disk. "And leave **this** world out of it! I can handle the pressure, they can't!"

Tidus stopped a bit a Shark's righteous rebuke, but before he could respond, a beeping on his Duel Disk stopped him. Before Shark could ask what was up, Tidus had pressed a button and suddenly, everything in the Astral World froze. In front of him, however, materialized a girl with a fan of pitch-black hair and a pair of white locks framing her face. Tidus knew who he was talking to.

"I'm sorry, boss. I really am. I _know_ you want us to hurry with the plan. But I can't believe that idiot Shark doesn't know that…!"

"He doesn't know because it's a while ago." The Aspect boss shook his head. "Still a problem, but not your _main_ problem. Yuma and Astral are your targets."

"…yes, boss." Tidus's head sank. "I just wonder… I mean, she's all I had to look forward to when I put my head above water in my past life." Tidus takes up one of the sides of his Duel Disk, opened it up and pulled out a photo. It showed him, clearly exhausted from pulling up a treasure chest he was leaning on from the surf-washed shoreline behind him. Next to him though, was a girl with pinkish-white hair.

"I would've moved the world - this one, the Barian World, the _real world_ \- for this girl. And then she up and _disappears_ the second she found one of those numbers… and I can't even remember her name anymore. And then I find Shark using the Number she got…? No. I _refuse_ to believe he doesn't know what happened to her." Tidus' head sunk again, this time in tranquil fury.

"What he knows is irrelevant." The black-and-white haired girl tucked a thumb under Tidus' chin and lifted it up. "You're stronger. _Everyone_ in the Aspect is despite what these… 'heroes'... have done to them."

She straightened up.

"But this rot starts at the top of each of these places. So we have to limit who we start our wars with, or we'll get overrun before the plan even begins. I've already sent Viral Vector to keep Vetrix and his family away long enough for you both to do your thing."

And with that, the girl finally turned her heel on Tidus.

"Please… don't make me regret it."

Then the scene returned to normal, the girl disappearing as quickly as she had formed, the flow of time resuming and the question on Shark's stilled tongue for four minutes came forth. "Wait, what's that now?"

Wryly noticing that Shark was talking about the notification beacon, the teal-haired Duelist finally straightened up. "Nevermind. My issue with you can wait for later. For now, let me just tell the rest of you that my name is Tidus…"

And with this, he drew out his Duel Disk and charged it to life. "... And the only way this Astral World gets relieved from its focus in my investigation is if your premiere Number Hunter can best me in a Duel… Yuma."

Yuma, after another moment of shock, stepped forward. "Well, you've got it Tidus! As long as-"

"-Oh yes, I forgot about your… better side, Astral." And with this, Tidus turned to the wary spirit. "I know you're a man of many observations, so I'm sure you can tell the reason for my next few words. No ZeXal Morphing. This fight's with Yuma and Yuma _alone."_

Astral, after a pregnant pause and to the shock of everyone around him, finally folded his arms and nodded.

"Wait, WHAT?" yelled Tori, a bit too loudly. "But Astral, he's the guy who's invaded your world, right?!"

" _Apparently..._ " Astral pointed out, " _He's decided on a different target. And if it keeps my world safe... I will keep my distance._ "

Despite a chorus of murmurs from the Barians as they looked up at the sky, Tori still stayed suspicious. "What are you talking about…?"

"Safe from _whaaAAAAAAA-!"_ Again, Tori Meadows' hand came into contact with Astral - this time, by Astral's reaching out to her - and she bore witness to what the ex-Emperors had seen when they held up the wounded Eliphas. The rift aboard the Astral World. one that had issued that meteor and likely the individual before them, was receding shut, apparently as a show of good faith by Tidus.

"Guess you've seen how focused my intent is now," Tidus said. "Suppose the investigation'll be finished the second I finish my match with Yuma here, anyhow." He then looked up. "But to make sure you don't _jump the stands_ anyway…"

And with that, two twin spouts of water erupted under both his and Yuma's feet, propelling them into the air, before flattening out into a large disc. The disc was large enough to comfortably accommodate both Duelists. Tidus' ferrying monster did not reach through the transport though, turning into a similar cloud of yellow shards. The cries of Yuma's friends did not even reach the Duel Carnival champion, as the height of the disc left everyone but Astral unable to reach it. But the new explosion of fire in the spires nearby, where Mizar had taken a fallen Kite to and the other mystery man had followed with his phoenix Duel Spirit, got the other ex-Emperors' attention.

"MIZAR!" Dumon yelled.

"Right, change of plans!" Shark turned to Rio. "Rio, take Girag, Alito, and Dumon there, make sure Mizar and Kite's okay! Tori, Ray and I will stay, keep Eliphas safe, and find a way to get up to that arena!"

"No way, brother!" Rio cried. "I'm not leaving you again!"

"Well then, _I_ could make sure they're okay, then!"

Had Shark not seen Ray's lips move to make the words, he wouldn't have believed it. "You do realize that…" Shark started.

Ray cut him off. "Mizar's in trouble? Has been since our second mystery attacker showed up on his giant chicken? And that you need _another_ powerful Barian to lead the charge? Why do you think I asked after your sister refused?"

"Wait a minute, what are we? _Chopped liver?_ " shouted Alito.

"That they need to ignore the rambling to save Mizar? Again, the Ray Way's perfect for laser-straight focus on problem-solving!" beamed the ex-Emperor.

"That still isn't the reason I-"

"-and no, I don't have the time, power, or _mathematical models_ to help with inventing a new number to count the number of times I've 'betrayed' you all," Ray finished, ignoring the snappish looks from Alito, Girag, and Dumon. "We're the best thing going now, and I'd hate to see it go to pot because we're here complaining."

Ray finally went face to face with Shark. "I'm serious now. And I'm _well_ aware of what you think of me. And I know it won't change unless you _let_ me change it."

Shark finally nodded his approval. "Whatever. Just don't make me regret it."

"The Ray-Way never disappoints! Now let's goooooooooooooo!" and with that, Ray set off.

" _…should I tell him that his Emperor friend headed off in the **opposite** direction or will you?_" Eliphas panted.

"Don't. Just head back to the Astral Towers with Rio. He'll smarten up, the culprits are out of it, and, well... the water treatment therapy's never looked hotter." Shark pointed at the ebbing waterfalls from the Astral Tower, before turning to face Tidus and Yuma above him. "And by the way, you're the vanguard of this world, right?"

" _Indeed._ "

"D'ya think it's got a chance now?"

Eliphas nearly stopped his assisted walk - this time, with Rio - at Shark's words. " _Why do you ask this of me?_ "

"I dunno," Shark wondered. "Probably because us - Barians and Astrals - being this way at the start... might have prevented Don Thousand from…"

A tense silence passed between the two leaders. " _…I understand. And with you here like this?_ " Eliphas finally let a smile grace his lips while Ray finally rushed back the other way, having realized his directional error. _"I have no doubt…_ "

* * *

"….that you're in quite a hurry to _lose,_ Mizar!"

The explosion that the other ex-Barians had taken notice of was the start of the second turn in the Mizar-Percy fight, both now at 3000 LP each just after Mizar's new card finally came into his hand. "And now that my ' **Destruction Ring'** Trap has taken a chunk of your LP, this loss won't take long! Since my Destruction Ring's taken my ' **St. Bath, Peacekeeper of Maedas** ', away from me so soon, she'll use the sacrifice to further our crusade!

"See, her special ability allows her to replace herself with another "Maedas" monster when she's destroyed, with two thousand or less Attack Points - like ' **Joan, Crusader of Maedas**!'" With another flash of light, the warrior lady hit the field, Maedas-commemorating flag in one hand and sword in the other. **[Joan/LIGHT/Warrior/1400 ATK/2000 DEF]**

"And I summon her in the Miracle Zone, laid out by my ' **Maedas Miracle Grounds** '!"

 _Now, this was new to me! It seemed that this person who I've initiated a Duel with to keep the injured Kite from being attacked again had some power behind him too. But why?! Unless..._

'To turn the battlefield itself to his advantage! _' t_ hought the Galaxy-Eyes user, a tiny bit of him wishing for just one Barian field to show this sneak-attacking whelp how to truly run the table. _A pity. I can handle that anyway after I got past his weak Joan. I mean._. Mizar's thought process continued, ... _with only fourteen hundred Attack Points to her name it should be child's play to -_

"And since she's in a Zone that a "Maedas" card's upgraded, Joan's special ability activates, increasing her Level to Set - and her attack points to twenty-eight _hundred_!"

'Is he real?!' Mizar's blanched. Now he'd have to use the other cards he'd attained-and with another concerned look at Kite, wondered if he should make haste with the new Neutrino cards.

 _I was supposed to use them against Kite, to show how I've evolved from when we last met, and take back the post as the best of the Galaxy-Eyes users! And that the last dragon standing would be his new Galaxy-Eyes N-_

 _-No. Not against this zealot._ _He doesn't deserve that level of effort from me – not yet._ "I Normal Summon my ' **Heliosphere Dragon** ' in Defense Mode!" His call was followed by the arrival of the purplish-blue creature, wings forming the silhouette of a heart beneath its small body. **[Heliosphere/LIGHT/Dragon/0 ATK/1900 DEF]**

"No Attack Points? I suppose it has some ability if you've wasted a Summon on it."

"It does indeed." The trademark Mizar smirk graced his face. "Since you have four or fewer cards in your hand -" Indeed, Percy only had two cards in his hand. "- and this is the only monster I hold on my field, nothing can attack it!"

 _But that other Set card you have could change that equation quick…_ thought Mizar, looking at the other Set card on Percy's field. _Considering what Maedas Miracle Grounds has already done for him …well, I'll just have to bait him into the initiative then! When my Galaxy-Eyes Dragons come out, I want NO surprises on this fool's end._

"I Set 2 cards and end the turn here!" Two obscured cards fizzled into Mizar's Spell and Trap Zones. "It's your move, Percy - though with my Heliosphere Dragon out, I doubt your monsters'll be doing much moving at all!"

"Watch me, _Mizar_." And Percy drew, bringing the cards in his hand to 3. "I Normal Summon ' **Judi, Judge of Maedas** '!" The fearsomeness of the visage on the shield of this latest Maedas member was only matched by the ferocity on the face of the LIGHT lady wielding it. **[LIGHT/Spellcaster/1700 ATK/1600 DEF]** "And with her effect, I change two Monster Zones on this Dueling ground into Judgment Zones-the one she currently occupies…"

 _Well,_ Mizar wondered, looking at his stirring Galaxy-Eyes rival-in-arms, Kite, _... this could still be manageable as long as his effects are kept away from my fi -_

"….and the second Judgment Zone becomes the Monster Zone YOUR Heliosphere Dragon occupies!"

"No…" hissed the ex-Barian out loud.

"Now for Judi's _true_ special ability!" Percy yelled as the Judgment Zones established themselves with lamppost-like halves of gigantic golden scales jutting out behind each monster on their Zones. "For each monster in a Judgment Zone will have their fate determined by a higher power than even the Maedas!"

And with that, the eyes on Judi's shield facade glowed, before separating from the shield and floating in front of her… as two gigantic golden coins. " _…_ specifically, _Lady Luck._ " The Aspect Duelist cracked a small smile. "You determine when these spinning coins stop. The one on the left represents Judi, the right your Heliosphere Dragon! And don't worry, that attitude will be the _next_ thing of yours I crush - after all, each Tails result will have the monster it represents instantly destroyed!"

"Putting things up to chance? And you went after me for having a monster without Attack Points!" Mizar laughed at this.

"Don't worry, the Heads result is no better for you. In fact, it's worse. Because landing on Heads negates the represented monster's special abilities until the end of the next turn!"

Mizar visibly paled. "So… that means that… "

"…Either way, this goes, your Dragon will soon no longer be a problem for him." izar and Percy whirled around to the new voice. Kite was getting to his knees, using the back of his spluttering ferry Orbital 7 for a crutch. "For your sake… Mizar… you'd better have something… to keep him from… winn-"

Another crack of lightning came down near Kite, knocking him and Orbital 7 to the floor. Mizar would end up screaming, before turning to Percy in rage. "YOU did this?!"

"And you'll be following him soon!" Percy yelled back, his normally collected demeanor all but gone. "You, and all those Number hunters who ruined my life and-!"

Another ripple of time cut him off, freezing the defiant Mizar and downed Kite-in fact, everyone but Percy-where they stood. In front of Percy's outstretched hand, though, was a familiar girl with a fan of black hair, stained white over her left temple. "I thought we discussed this, Percy. Your target was _Astral and Shark."_

"The _Aspect's_ target is Astral and Shark," grumbled the Maedas user. "Mine is the heartless Heartland-bred _scumbags_ who carded my friends and destroyed my innocent followers - my House of Midas - for the crime of gaining the Numbers."

The girl sighed. "Ones you will never get back if you keep attacking the one who did it at every word he speaks! I'm allowing this…distraction… only because it's drawing the other ex-Barians away from Tidus, who's doing the job of _two_ Aspect members right now." …

She stepped forward again, now face to face with Percy. "And make no mistake, Percy-the Aspect's busines _s is_ your business. I said you'd have the opportunity to truly face the one who destroyed your House. My heart still weeps when I hear of your carded list - and the cards that were taken." The girl immediately began counting them off. " **Number 41: Bagooska**. Randy's. **Number 91: Thunder Spark Dragon**. Byser's. **Number 56: Gold Rat.** D-"

"No need to continue, please- my nightmares have kept me too aware of that list." Percy's arms folded and his brow crinkled, almost seeming to age before his boss's eyes. "And that Number 56 holder turned out to be an actual rat. If there's one carded individual I'd never want back… "

He straightened up. "No. _Everyone_ deserves better than the Number Hunters. But, you're right, boss-the Aspect comes first." Percy's eyes locked on Kite. "Then I destroy the Galaxy-Eyes lineage once and for all."

"Glad to hear it. And Pierce?" The girl finally took notice of the wild-eyed Mizar. "Mizar's more versatile than you think now. Be sure in your hunt for one _white whale_ in the Kite…"

And the girl started flickering out of existence.

"…that the _white shark..._ that Barian you're facing... doesn't eat you up first."

The scene fizzled back to normal, and Percy recomposed himself, to Mizar's spluttering surprise. "My apologies for the outburst. Perhaps Judi's verdict will be more measured. Begin the toss!"

And with that, Judi's long-awaited flip begins, the coins reflecting the sparkling Astral World in their motions - and the incoming Barians as well. Both results, however, would be the same-Tails. "Well, guess that means the two of our monsters are going effect-free for two turns - but there's clearly someone coming out the worse in this exchange anyways!" And so it was, because while Judi had her effects negated too, she sat at a hefty seventeen-hundred Attack Points to Helios' zero Attack Points. It didn't take long for Mizar to figure out the math in this equation - thirty-five hundred points of damage from Judi and the souped-up Joan to his Life Points?

 _No, I need to stop this attack now. Forget keeping the secret cards secret._

"Judi, show his weakened Heliosphere Dragon what true might is! Strike with your **Glorious Judgment**!" Three seconds later, Judi's aforementioned spear was out and she was charging, the sharp weapon aimed directly at Heliosphere's head.

Until Mizar interrupted. "Not so fast, zealot - I activate my Trap, **'Neutrino Calling'**! And since a monster of yours with fifteen hundred or more Attack Points targeted a monster of mine, through attack or effect, I can Special Summon a non-Dragon-Type "Neutrino" monster from my Deck with less Attack Points that it, then redirect the attack or effect to it! Yes, it takes out a portion of my LP equal to their difference in Attack Points, _but_ it turns the monster I Summon becomes a Dragon as well! Come forth, ' **Neutrino Thresher** '! And with this, the Level Three DARK Psychic took form on the field, drawing her scythe in a defensive stance, blue aura springing to life around her. **[Thresher/DARK/Psychic/Level 3/1500 ATK/500 DEF].**

"A… Neutrino monster? What's… Mizar… gotten up to now?" Kite whispered.

"C-c'mon Master k-Kite, keep your voice down - I 'm not sure e-either of us could take another thunderclap from that m-m-m-mad prophet Pursey!" Orbital 7 spluttered. Thankfully - on two fronts - Kite was too injured to snap off a retort to 7 for his none-too-original miscue on Percy's name, and Percy himself took no notice of either Kite or Orbital's statements.

Instead, Percy's eyes were fixed on the new threat. "And what makes you think this will save you? I can still marshal an attack on your Heliosphere _anyways!_ "

"Not with… urrgh… this out, you won't!" Mizar finally shuddered painfully as the penalty of Neutrino Calling came around, reducing his Life Points to 2800. "My Neutrino Thresher, while it's treated as a Dragon, prevents you from making attacks on any monster with less ATK than it - and since it was Special Summoned by a "Neutrino" card's effect, it allows me to search up a Level 8 Dragon monster with 2000 or less DEF, like my Schwarzschild Limit Dragon!"

"Fine then! Guess this means we do this the hard way! Judi, attack his Thresher instead!" Percy demanded-and with a swipe of the spear, it was so, as the Thresher collapsed into a field of sparks.

As the sparks settled, however, Mizar's smile did not retreat an inch. Instead, he continued. "A pity. The Thresher has one last ability upon destruction where it targets another monster with the same Type as it had and gives it Attack Points equal to the difference in its original Attack and Defense Points, plus another hundred points for good measure. Like my Heliosphere Dragon - who now has 2000 ATK to boot as well!"

"And yet it avails you nothing against Joan! Go, **Journeywoman's Blade!** " Now Joan was leveling her steel weapon at Heliosphere Dragon, and a powerful charge put through the Dragon caused it to wince - but it didn't perish in the attack. "What's this, then?!" Percy yelled.

"The effect of my Neutrino Calling in the GY is what saved my Heliosphere!" Mizar proclaimed. "By removing it from my Graveyard, and revealing a "Galaxy-Eyes" monster in my hand, I can prevent the destruction of a "Neutrino" or "Galaxy" monster I control!"

"But will it protect you from the 800 points of damage this inflicts on you?" Percy asked, his expression left unchanged when Mizar growled and his Life Points slipped to 2000. "Somehow, I _thought_ not. And thanks to the Miracle Zone your monster is on, I gain the exact same amount of LP that Joan took from you - as if I need that to be above you, but every little bit helps." And Percy's Life Poitns now shot up to 3800.

"I'll….be sure to put down that ego…after I do _your_ field," Mizar spat out through a gate of gritted teeth.

"Those are words as empty and vapid as the person spitting them - and twice so for the guttersnipe mercenary you defend." Ignoring the glares both Galaxy-Eyes users shot at him, Percy continued. "And now that I'm going to employ a new breed of monster you've never seen against you, those'll be words you'll regret spluttering for a long time."

"A new breed of monster? What are you talking about?" Mizar wondered aloud.

The snarl was back on the exalted Duelist's face. "How droll. You know what - why **bother** waiting at this point!? I've wanted the Galaxy-Eyes lineup done as soon as possible - and the faster this can help me to that goal, the better! I call upon the Arch of the Advent!"

"ADVENT?" Mizar would have kept his voice down, but running through his brain-he'd never heard of Advent! Was it a world? A genus of new monsters? As it turns out, Percy was fit to answer his inquiry now.

"By using the Judi, Judge of Maedas and Miracle Grounds on my field and the Spell Card, ' **Senet Switch** ', from my hand…" Percy began.

"Wait- a monster and a Spell being used?"

"That's impossible!"

"What're you tryin' to pull here!?"

Mizar breathed a sigh of relief at Dumon, Alito and Girag's voices (respectively). _It should not be_ this _relieving to have others as shocked by this development as I!_

But if their inquiries were in hopes of disqualifying Percy's maneuver, they were in for a rude awakening. "It's called an Advent Summon, gentlemen - and it hearkens back to the true roots of dueling, where Monsters and Spells worked in perfect harmony - so watch and learn!

"This Advent Summon will take the stars of the monster I sacrificed - no matter where on their card they so occupy - and adds it to the number of Spells or Traps used to form a new monster! And with the Level 4 Judi, my Senet Switch, and my Maedas Miracle Grounds, that makes a Level Six Advent Summon possible!" As Percy spoke, the ends of the Spells finally burst out into ribbons of twirling light that spiraled together-the Level stars that once was the form of Judi creating four chains to the ribbons.

In all, it looked like a multicolored, gigantic strand of DNA. And it was straight behind Percy.

"With these cards, I Advent Summon the Level 6 Advent Monster - **'Android Knight Parshath!'**

The energy helix behind the exalted Duelist then broke open into a portal gate at the center twist - turning into a rippling, shining gate from which several giant metallic arms burst out. Four legs and a familiar coned helmet joined it, and the brilliant white cyborg started working its way out of the gate.

It would be to the horror of five Barian duelists bearing witness to this new Summoning method. This included Ray Shadows, who while a mile away when the strand of energy was still being crafted, now stood stock-still at its sickening light and the monster now emerging on-

* * *

-the scene now turned to the impact crater of the figure that had nearly made mincemeat out of Vetrix and his family. Standing out of the dust from that touchdown was a white-suited figure in a top hat, skeletal dogs springing to life around her. Surprisingly, she showed no ill effects of crashing in front of the Argent clan at a hundred miles an hour.

Trey visibly winced at their presence, but Quattro - himself a holder of some rather terrifying creatures, himself - stood firm. "Mind telling us who you are and why you nearly pulped us?!"

The figure, ignoring Quattro's question, then pulled out a card and showed it to them - one of herself within a silver background, something none of them had seen before on an Extra Deck card. The name on it, though, was visible enough. " **Viral Vector'**? Why does it look like that card then?" Quinton said.

Viral Vector nodded, so Trey's inquiry was up next. "So what's the deal with your arrival here - are you going to help us get to the top of that tower? To Astral?"

The Duel Spirit's expression, neutral as could be until this point, finally changed... into an ear-splitting smirk.

And then the card she held flashed with a burst of light-one which only Vetrix's Argent Crest glowed in reaction to before it enveloped him and his family. When it faded, Vetrix blinked, then turned to see if Quattro or Quinton were as surprised by the light show as he… only to see them frozen in place.

Whipping his head back to face Vetrix, his mask slipped for the briefest of seconds and the star-riddled vortex where the left half of his face should be was shown to the Viral Vector. "You'll explain what you did to my wonderful sons, or I'll _force_ it out of you - are we clear?"

Viral only responded with a series of motions-her staff turning into a full-length Duel Disk that ran across her chest like a bandolier. This was followed by Viral Vector pointing at him, then her own Duel Disk, mimicking a sweeping motion, and then striking a series of delayed poses, reminiscent of the current stances of each of Vetrix's sons.

The message was clear to the Argent Patriarch, though. "So we'll Duel for their freedom from their frozen state?" His gaze hardened for a second, then broke into a bushy grin. "Fine by me, beating you'll be a snap! Let's boogie!"

Viral Vector sprouted a far less unnerving smile this theme and turned her staff into a silver Duel Disk, the mute Duel Spirit finally ready for battle.

"Alright then…" Vetrix tensed, ready for war.

The Viral Vector took its turn first, and started off with a Spell Card - and a flurry of noise finally erupted from her Duel Disk, turning into a stream of garbled noises, before picking onto a pattern of television show - like phrases, pasted together: it seemed to be Viral's form of communication with Vetrix.

"AcTiVa—a-a-a-a-AAAH-activate Field Spell Card! **'Immortal Incubator'**!" And with that, the field around them rippled and turned into a vast purple-pinkish sea. The signature spores of Crush Card Virus circled around it, and a giant version of the Duelist-impeding spore circled beneath their feet.

"Act-tititi-vation of this card lets me Summon an Immortal class monster from the hand: I-I-I'LL use it to Summon ' **Lesser Beast'**!" And with a flash of light, out stomped the maddened furry friend of the Viral Vector, with golden fur, large talon-coated paws, and a leering set of sharp triangles pretending to be a grin. **[Lesser Beast DARK/Fiend/Immortal/Level 2/1050 ATK/500 DEF]**

"Can't attack if you don't control a monster with two thousand or more ATK. But tw-two things will make it more powerful - first, its other special ability that allows it to gain seven hundred Attack Points for each other Dark monster on the field. Secondly, I'll be personally making sure it has plenty of friends to work with! I S–suhsuh-s-s-s-Summon ' **Eternal Seeker'** in Defense Mode so it isn't lonely." Another burst of light brought out a ram-wielding girl, her outfit a series of cut-out hearts standing out among a white-on-black bodysuit, and her expression one of similar ferocity to the animal heading her weapon. **[Eternal Seeker DARK/Fairy/Level 3/1100 ATK/1800 DEF]**

As Eternal Seeker's blue aura of defense sprang up, the Duel Spirit seemed more confirmed in her speech-and her endgame. "Now Lesser Beast gains 900 ATK by her effect..." And with that, Lesser Beast's ATK shot up. **[Lesser Beast ATK: 1050-1750]**. "... and I can activate another of Immortal Incubator's spec-special abilities. It l-lets me pay Life Points…" and at this, Viral's Life Points went down to 3000 without a single flinch on her part. "…to put out a Level 4 or lower Immortal Monster from my Deck in Attack Position with Attack Poitns that's five hundred higher than the LP I paid, as long as I Summon something with higher Attack Points than it from my Deck t—t-TO your field as well.

So, I bring forth ' **Candlelier Chevalier'** to my field…" And a third luminous burst brought in the spirit, candles on his shoulder and a bigger fire lighting up behind its slotted eyes. **[Candlelier/DARK/Warrior/Immortal/Level 3/1500 ATK/0 DEF]**

"...and I place "Zombyra the Dark" on YOUR side of the field!" At this, the skull - coated fiend sprang up on Vetrix's field, to the Argent Patriarch's side of the field. **[Zombyra/DARK/Fiend/Level 4/2100 ATK/500 DEF]** "And Lesser Be-be-be-BEAST'S ATK becomes thirty-one fifty thanks to the field before you now!" To Viral's word, the Lesser Beast finally rose to full height and roared, its six limbs getting bulkier as its power rose.

 _What's this little girl getting at here?_ Vetrix asked of himself, looking at the Attack Point - hefty monster now on his field. _Only her Lesser Beast has more Attack Points than this! If she lets me use this against her Candlelier I could inflict a ton of damage to her! And what in the world is an Immortal class monster?!_

Viral continued unperturbed. "I Set two-two cards and end my turn…"

"Then I guess I can start my-" But Vetrix would go no further with his chirpy dialogue.

"… with the final effect of Immortal Incubator!" Viral Vector interrupted. "S-see, since I Special Summoned 2 or more monsters with this Field Spell's effects, you have to choose 1 of them to destro-tro-tro-troy: either my Candlelier Chevalier, my Lesser Beast or your Zombyra the Dark. Choose."

"Well, this isn't hard then! I'll happily pick… your Lesser Beast!" Vetrix said, going for the most powerful of Viral Vector's Summoned monsters. _G_ _oodness, this is easier than I thought if this spirit will let me-_

Unfortunately for his hopes, Viral's expression changed at the news that Lesser Beast was about to suffer destruction... as her pursed lips got back to up to a demented half-moon smile and her irises shrank to pinpricks. "Wr-wrong choice, **wretch."**

Even as she spoke, the sloshing waves of the Dominion rose up and claimed the bulky behemoth. Or so Vetrix thought. "Since Lesser Beast is in the Graveyard now, le-let me show you why it is an eternal nightmare! I activate Lesser Beast's Immortal effect, allowing me to sacrifice another monster from my field with its Attribute and fifteen hundred or less Attack Points - like my Candlelier Chevalier!" And with Viral's words, the monster turned into a glowing mass of red light-before stretching into an open ring.

"With this sacrifice, I return my Lesser Beast back to the field! Rise a-a-a-ag-again, my everlasting predator!" A pair of oversized paws ripped through the portal, and to Vetrix's horror, the lumbering monster stormed its way back onto Viral's field again.

 _Wait-return instead of Summon?_ It finally dawned on the Argent Patriarch's mind. _So she can return monsters to the field from the Graveyard without Summoning-which means it goes around her Dominion's Summoning restriction! Wait-_

Vetrix's eyes shot to the size of dinner plates. "So your Immortal monsters can get around ANY Summoning restrictions?!" he yelled at the Duel Spirit.

"How wo-wo-wonderful, you've figured out the new edge of my Immortal Monsters! How quaint." Viral now hid her smile with her Duel Disk-holding hand. "It will not save you, however. Because Lesser Beast's Immortal ability is n-n-not through. Now that it's back, it comes complete with another gift for the sacrifice: the destruction of one of _your_ monsters."

And Lesser Beast's whiptail finally came around. "Go, and strike with yo-your **Greater Grasp**!" The tail finally came down on Vetrix's Zombyra the Dark and shattered it. "The ability of Lesser Beast then banishes the Zombyra from the game - but that does little, as Candlelier's two effects now activate in tandem! The first allows me to, li-like I did with the Beast, sacrifice my Eternal Seeker to return my Chevalier from the Graveyard, and inflict damage to your Life Points equal to the difference be-be-b-BETWEEN yours and mine if it's a thousand or less!" With this, Vextrix's nebula - like facial half flared dangerously as his Life Points crept down to 3000, same as Viral's.

"Two last things the Chevalier does, for one time only, is give me a thousand Life Points and let me bring back a monster destroyed by an Immortal Monster I control at the cost of a discarded card - return to me, my Zombyra the Dark!" The skull-clad solder now took point next to Eternal Seeker and Lesser Beast, and Viral's field now looked almost impenetrable, on the very first turn. In addition, Viral's LP shot up to 4000, virtually untouched from when her turn began.

"It's your move, Ve-ve-veveveve-VETRIX. I do so hope I haven't struck the fear of Ra into you." Viral's utterly demented grin betrayed her honey-sweet words.

Vetrix-having not even conducted his first move-looked at the field of towering monsters and wondered if he'd have been better off frozen with his family.

And if so, why he'd chosen to engage in a war that looked like it-and he-would…

* * *

"…be over before he knows it!" Yuma shouted, words intended for the speed of defeat he believed he'd hand the water Duelist, Tidus.

Yuma Tsukumo's gear came alive with him in a matter of seconds, the "Duel Disk, locked!" signaling the establishment with the link to the virtual environment-one that Tidus' Duel Disk would soon match in far more dramatic - yet silent - flair.

"Duel Gazer, loaded!" came with a surprising imitation on Tidus' part as well, an orb of water appearing above his head before forming into a pair of foaming wings of liquid, the larger one settling behind him while the basketball-sized one settled around his right eye.

"Huh. Really loud. Expected it, though," Tidus said. "So then…"

"LET'S DUEL!" they said as one, Life Points at 4000 apiece and five cards in hand.

Yuma first glance was not at his cards - for a far different reason, since he was usually one with the subject of his current vision by this time. Astral's eyes, however, were solely focused on Tidus, looking for all the world like an angel statue upon this ring of surging water.

 _Astral, what's with you? I thought this whole endeavor would end with us facing a new threat together - how did he get this far into your head on one match?_ Yuma broke his train of thought to look at Tidus again. _Don't worry Astral - I'll get through to you, even if it means I have to get through him!_ _I hope…_

Nagging thought logged away, Yuma continued. "The first turn's mine, Tidus!" Yuma set off. "Now, I activate ' **Onomatopia'**!" This newest Field Spell helped to break the skies above the Astral World with a gigantic sun, now illuminating a white sky instead of the dark blue one that typified the alternate dimension - as if to break the illusion of the Aspect's true impact upon the Astral World, and light a vibrant beacon of hope in the colorless horizon.

"Now, feeling the flow's something that both the Astral World and I can do!" Yuma declared, his caveat to Astral not going unnoticed as Astral turned to him and nodded. "But that's not all! I Summon ' **Gogogo Golem'** in Defense Mode!" The broad Rock monster came in and bowed in his arms, a blue aura illuminating him. **[Gogogo Golem/EARTH/Rock/Level 4/1800 ATK/1500 DEF]** "Then I Set 2 cards face-down, and end my turn!"

Tidus straightened up and drew with equal fervor as Yuma, then spoke. "The flow? My goodness, kid, how naïve can you be about what you say? I'm a man of the deep sea, Yuma - the flow you feel _there_ is usually your only warning before you're lost to the tides. And I, for one, am done with letting it control me."

With one look of his hand, the water-shrouded Duelist finally made his move. "And now it's time I take control here too! Let's start this with **'Hydraul Arsenal' -** a little spout I can summon to the field when I control no monsters!" It was almost cute how the gelatinous, tool-toting monster looked as it sprang forth-but its incredibly sharp spear showed some teeth behind the puppy-like demeanor. **[Arsenal/WATER/Aqua/Level 2/100 ATK/2100 DEF]**

"That's not all, because I Normal Summon **'Hydraul Brainwave'** from my hand!" And on cue, another luminous burst brought forth a green-skinned creature with two pods holding fish floating in front of its hands. It was also similar in height to Arsenal-or lack thereof, anyway. **[Brainwave/WATER/Aqua/Level 2/200 ATK/1300 DEF]**

" _Two Level Two Water monsters?_ " Astral wondered out loud.

"Yeah I know, Astral…" Yuma said, looking at his face-down card. _Xyz Encore, this might end up pulling me out of the fire…_ Yuma took a look at the ring they were in-and his face scrunched up a bit at. _Well, the point's still made!_ "He won't get far if he's looking for a Xyz S-"

"And now with these two monsters…"

'Here it comes…' and even without a Zexal morph, Yuma and Astral's thoughts ran as one.

And then Tidus doubled over in a fit of laughter. Ignoring Yuma and Astral's quizzical looks, Tidus gave an explanation, though. "Oh, don't worry, fella. You'll see plenty of special abilities this turn anyway, but nothing _you're_ prepared for.

Let's start with Hydraul Arsenal - see, its power lets me send a number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard, equal to the number of cards in my hand! Since there's four in my hand, that's four cards off the top of my Deck."

"But why would you do that instead of…?" Yuma's question faltered on his lips, not wanting to give Tidus the idea to Xyz Summon. Tidus would continue undeterred, though.

"Simple - because Arsenal, the water spout, is about to wash your Golem out! See, if I send cards equal to the Level or Rank of another monster on the field, I can send one of those monsters to the hand or Graveyard! Like that Level Four Gogogo Golem of yours you've got - unleash your **Hydraulic Torrent** , Arsenal!" And Arsenal's chest gateway opened, at last, releasing a wave of green sludge that submerged the rock monster and caused it to shatter.

"And for my third charm, I equip the **'Legendary Conductor of Hydris'** Equip Spell from my hand to my Hydraul Arsenal!" Tidus concluded. As he spoke, the large metamorphic club his Equip Spell Card ejected floated its way into Hydraul Arsenal's hand. "And since Arsenal's current Attack Points stands at a thousand points or less, it gains twelve hundred more Attack Points!" Hydraul Arsenal's ATK now stood at a more modest 1300, and Tidus was bent on using it on Yuma's monster-cleaned field.

"Now Hydraul Arsenal, let's see well how this brat takes the **Hydraulic Pierce**! Attack Yuma directly!" Arsenal took its pointed spear, used its Conductor to charge it with electricity, and raced at Yuma. " _Yuma, hurry!_ " Astral shouted.

"Right! I activate my face-down card, **'Onomatwinpeia'!** " Yuma shouted as the Quick Play Spell came into action. "It places two Hi-Five the Sky Counters on Onomatopia, and cuts the damage I take in half!" Still, Yuma flinched in the face of Hydraul Arsenal's attack - especially when the monster's spear hit dead center and the conductor that Arsenal was holding handed Yuma a hefty shock.

Shaking off the smoky cloud surrounding him, Yuma continued on. "And the best part of Onomatwinpeia is that after all that, it Sets itself _again_ instead of going to the Graveyard!"

"Half a reckoning is _still_ a reckoning, dude," declared Tidus, as Yuma's Life Points finally dropped-but only to 3350. Tidus, however, had more to show. "And this reckoning's about to turn you into a wreck anyway. See, should a Hydraul monster of mine attack or get attacked, and a player takes damage, I can Special Summon this far bigger **'Hydraul Hollow Gorge'** from my hand, and it gains Attack Points equal to the battle damage that player took!" A long-necked glowing blue dragon swam its way onto the battlefield-and its ATK promptly rose from its original, the boost signaled by its chilling roar. **[WATER/Aqua/Level 6/1000-1650 ATK/2600 DEF]**

"Guess it's time for another direct attack then, Gorge," Tidus dryly added. "Theatrics don't impress me - but your **Hollow Blaster** will."

After the attack finished putting a new coat of charred skin on Yuma, his Life Points now stood at 1600.

"Also, I'm pretty sure you can strike at Mr. Hi-Five the Sky too, Brainwave. Your **Hydraulic Telepathy** may not do much, but every point counts - especially when it's going into a Number Hunter's twisted heart!"

Life Points now at a crucial 1400 after the mental shockwave hit Yuma, and brain slightly scrambled by a parting headache the attack left, Yuma barely managed to get out "W-what are you talking about Tidus? My - our - Number Hunting days are long over! And I've always kept true to my heart when I Dueled Number Holders!"

Tidus gave a disgusted snort at that. "Spare me. Your excuses are as empty as your _soul!_ This is why I've sworn to never hold another Xyz Monster again; not when they're what drive scum like you and your Barian - spawned friends to prey on the innocent!"

This time, Tidus pointed at Shark again, too busy ascending to the top of the arena on the top of the animated **Number 102: Silent Honor Ark** to notice Tidus' pointed words. "And if you don't believe me, _see for yourself!"_

Tidus then ejected out the slot box of his Duel Disk - notably attached to a cord on his belt - and presented it to Yuma, with as much surging passion as if it were his beating heart.

"WHAT THE-?!" Yuma's jaw dropped at the realization - the Extra Deck slot that would normally house Extra Deck cards held absolutely nothing. "But how are you planning to win without any Xyzes?!"

"Sorry, Yuma - charity time's over." And with a final flourish, Tidus both re-latched his Extra Deck box to his side and Set a card in the Spell & Trap Zone to end his turn. "We now return to our regularly scheduled _payback._ Your move."

Yuma finally turned to Astral, worry lining his face. "Astral, what is he talking about!" It was not a question. "I've never hurt a Number Holder as badly as he's saying!"

Astral nodded. " _I have no doubt he has you confused with another - but we must prevail nonetheless. Thankfully, he hasn't used the Hydris cards yet…_ "

"Wait - a Hydris card? What are they?" Yuma finally shook his head in exasperation. "Right, it doesn't matter - we need to take back the Duel now! I draw!" Yuma' hand was now at three, and his field held 2 Set Spell/Trap Cards.

"First, I activate And I activate Onomatopia's special ability! By removing 2 Hi-Five the Sky Counters from it, I can Special Summon the **'Dododo Driver'** from my Deck!" The cart-carrying crusader barreled its way onto Yuma's field. **[EARTH/Warrior/1800 ATK/200 DEF]**

"But that's not all because I Tribute the Dododo Driver to Summon **'Dododo Buster!'** " And in the place of the one-monster caravan, a giant warrior with a large mace arose. **[Dododo Buster/EARTH/Warrior/Level 6/1900 ATK/800 DEF]**

Yuma continued on. "Thanks to Dododo Buster's special ability, however, it can bring back Dododo Driver in Defense Position. And Driver's ability, when it gets Special Summoned, allows it to push up a monster's Level by up to 2 - like its own!" Now both Dododos stood at Level 6.

As Tidus watched on, Yuma finally struck. "Now using my Level 6 Dododo Buster and Dododo Driver, I build the Overlay Network!" Both monsters turned into streams of light and flew into the eye of the cosmic wormhole opening between the two Duelists. Rio, Shark, even Tidus stood stock-still in silent fascination in the marvel of that modern nebula arriving yet again in their lives - and in stark contrast to the bleached-white sky above them.

For Yuma Tsukumo however, what he was bringing out was going to be a bit more down-to-earth. "I Xyz Summon the titanic, nomadic, and wondrously dynamic, Rank Six **'Dododo Wizard'**!" The gigantic gladiator-like entity finally came forth, its two orbiting Overlay Units orbiting its glowing armor and looming figure. **[EARTH/Warrior/Xyz/Rank 6/2100 ATK/850 DEF]**

"Thank you for showing the Xyz now standing before me - so I have something new to neuter! Activate Legendary Conductor of Hydris's special ability!" And with this, a brilliant twin flash of lightning struck. When it dissipated, Yuma set his eyes on the battlefield once more - only to see both his Dododo Wizard and Hydraul Arsenal now kneeling with their arms crossed, blue auras decorating them both. "What did you do NOW?!" he yelled.

"Dash your hopes of attacking with that Xyz Monster, for starters. See, the Legendary Conductor's new ability, once on each turn, allows me to turn both the equipped monster and 1 of your monsters to Defense Position! And in addition, my monster can't be destroyed by one battle this turn."

" _New Observation #1: Even without one area of Dueling available, the ability to use another can often stop strategies before they begin,_ " ruminated Astral.

Yuma only responded to the deflating statement with a grin. "Oh, he's only made things worse for himself-because this turn! This Duel's not over till the last card is down!"

Yuma turned back to the water Duelist, grin growing by the second. "Tidus, get set to get Decked! I activate the second ability of ' **Onomatwinpeia** '!" Once again, the Quick-Play Spell revealed itself. "Since it's my turn and I control a "Dododo" monster, I can send a Gagaga monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, then Special Summon a "Gagaga" monster with a lower Level than it from my Deck! So I send off my 'Gagaga Dean', to Special Summon **'Gagaga Caesar',** who goes up to Level 4 thanks to Onomatwinpeia!" The white-suited Paladin rushed onto the field, staff at hand and sharp eyes twinkling behind his mask. **[Gagaga Caesar/EARTH/Warrior/Level 3-4/1800 ATK/300 DEF]**

"Now I use the ability of the ' **Gagaga Dean** ' in my Graveyard-see, when I control a Warrior-Type Earth monster, I can bring her out from my Graveyard! Don't worry though - you're the _only_ one about to get schooled here, because Dean gets half of Gagaga Ceasar's Attack Points too!" And Caesar was now accompanied by the white-armored witch, her look oddly reminiscent of a legendary apprentice magician of another time and place. **[Gagaga Dean/DARK/Spellcaster/Level 5/1900- 2800 ATK/1650 DEF]**

"So then, Gagaga Dean-attack his Hydraul Hollow Gorge! **Gagagablaze Attack!** "

 _Finally,_ thought Tidus as Yuma's attack came roaring at his monster. _T_ _hought his turn would never end-and my Trap Card would never be used._ His gaze set on his sole face-down card…

* * *

 **DYSTOPIA OF DESIRE/?/?**

…one that the Aspect leader was keeping an eye on too, though her focus-and form-was currently in another realm.

" _Don't worry - Jaden'll be with you soon, sis_." The kid on the pier was deep into another conversation with the boss of Aspect as well. And his talk of Jaden's arrival was more immediate that one would imply, given that the Slifer Red Duelist stood several feet from him, frozen in the screeching stop his shoes made on the grass near the pier.

"I do so look forward to seeing if Jaden's Duelist enough to get past you, brother." The girl flicked back her white-stained lock of hair. "If the progress I've seen by those _with us_ is any indication..."

And with that, three screens showed up in front of the two siblings' eyes - one showed Tidus' field of monsters all standing staunchly against the Gagaga Principal's charging ball of energy about to be released against the Hollow Gorge.

Another was of the Android Knight Parshath floating further out of its blinding portal and onto the Dueling field, through Percy's handiwork.

The final one was a view almost from behind Viral Vector's head, at the tiny Vetrix and the three titanic Dark monsters Viral had levied against him.

"... I'm starting to feel there soon won't be any Duelists left to stand _against us._ "

 ** _TO BE CONTINUED…_**

* * *

 **Gagaga support's here:** **bdsceptyr/gallery/?catpath= &edit=0&q=gagaga**

 **Hydraul stuff is here: bdsceptyr/gallery/?catpath= &edit=0&q=**

 **And here's the new Immortal stuff ol' Viral Vector debuted this day:** **bdsceptyr/gallery/?catpath= &edit=0&q=viral+vector**

 **D'Sceptre Inc. will see you on the next chapter. Till then.**


	4. Open Season pt3

**SIGNER TIMELINE/THE SATELITE/6:45 PM**

For what it was worth, Yusei Fudo was a well-rounded person for all he'd endured-his renegade status literally seared onto his face, his friends and his own health threatened almost as quickly as they were secured, being led by the nose by Goodwin in one instance and the Dark Signers in the next.

Mainly, it was due to the fact that, well, this was a city of _Duelists,_ the both of them- Neo Domino and the Satellite. Matters were easy to handle, especially for a Duelist so willing to endure the storm and push the pace as the Satellite Shooting Star.

The metaphorical black hole he was about to come into contact with, however, would serve as a sudden shock.

With one flick of the switch by the mystery Duelist, the area, instead of turning to a purple-on gold sepia as per the original setting of a Speed Duel, the area fizzled, then turned dust-clod orange, the sky now turning a sickly green as well.

Worse yet, Yusei's screen fizzed right in the middle of "Duel Mode activavavavavaaaaa-" then fizzled out-three seconds later. Three seconds later, several of his cards jutted out of his Deck. A lightning-fast look at the cards revealed that….

"…These are all my Speed Spells!" Yusei's head whipped to face his competitor's motorbike, wishing once again that he had an easier way to see inside not only the chrome sphere surrounding his racing rival, but their mind as well.

Finally, his computer sprang back to life. This time it had a picture of a different Field Spell on the front of the display-a mysterious one of a half-ruined silver tower with rings of machinery surrounding it. "Area 50-05, Chrome Star HQ" it described, and nothing else.

"Duel Mode Activated, T-Wheel restriction employed! Autopilot engagement locked! You have 30 seconds to remove non-legal cards from your Deck for this Duel."

Yusei, in short order, slipped out the Speed Spells and slapped in a set of new Spells from a pocket inside of his jacket. "I'm not seeing what they-either these Spells or my friends-have done to you lately for you to pull this to keep them out!"

"Not what they've done, sport-just you and your woefully un-impressive parlor tricks."

It was lucky for this mystery duelist-and all undisturbed daisies the world over-that they couldn't see the glare the Satellite Shooting Star sent their way at the venom in their voice.

"In case you're curious, it's because of the TW Lock, a little ditty installed with my new Field Spell, Area 50-05." The engine of the mystery Duelist's D-Runner motor was gunned again; even its whine sounded melodious if deafeningly loud, to Yusei's ears. Despite the noise, a certain detail of the Duelist's diatribe stuck.

"Wait, a TM lock? That sounds familiar-like this is something I've come into contact with when I was younger? - But I can't nail it down! Regardless-" And with a switch of several Spells from his on-foot Dueling Deck, Yusei was ready for this peculiar Speed Duel. "-I'm ready for you, Speed Counters or NOT!"

"I don't doubt that for a second."

 _Was that a waver in the Duelist's voice?_ thought the Synchron user. They seemed to be in complete control of the situation-what caused them to doubt now? Perhaps they had heard of the Signers and this series of events was their attempt at a preemptive strike. Yusei had harbored an inkling of fear before that the actions of the Dark Signers might herald a retaliation against the other Signers, due to all the souls they temporarily harvested just to Summon their very Earthbound Immortals-but it had seemed so out-of-space since their personal targets were so precise…..

…perhaps it was time to gain some answers-and if this Duel was the way to them, so be it!

He just hoped this wasn't dooming Akiza, who still took precedence. So he had to make this quick.

"Let's start this show off right!" And Yusei took in his five cards. Perfect, he thought, for allowing him to make his move without worry of the opponent tripping him up. "First off, I Summon to the field, 'Junk Forward'-a little helper I can Special Summon if I don't control any monsters!" With the speed of a wild hurricane, the lithe mecha rushed to action in Attack Mode. **[EARTH/Warrior/Level 3/ATK 900/DEF 1500]**

"Next up is 'Synchron Carrier', in Defense Mode!" and with a flash, the triple winch wielding robot sprang into action, a blue aura surrounding it. **[EARTH/Machine/Level 2/ATK 0/DEF 1000]**

"Don't worry though, because I've got a Spell to utilize as well-I activate the Spell, 'Tuning'! This allows me to move another 'Synchron' Tuner from my Deck to my hand, so long as a send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard after! 'Junk Synchron' should do the trick!" And after adding the Level 3 Machine from his Deck to his hand, his mill to the GY turned up a 'Tuningware'.

"With that in hand, I now activate the special ability of my "Synchron Carrier', which lets me storm the field with another Normal Summoned 'Synchron' monster: like my Defense Mode 'Steam Synchron'!" The android that came out of the halo of blue this time looked far more advanced than the Carrier-though far bulkier and stouter. **[WATER/Machine/Level 3/ATK 600/DEF 800]**

"And with that, I end my turn!" As the mystery duelist took the initiative, a breath of fresh air seemed to circulate within the pod of the otherwise now silent strider. "Huh-guess I've hit a nerve for an otherwise defensive player such as yourself. My apologies."

Yusei almost fell out of his seat before they both raced into an empty junk lot-the mazes of refuse and autopilot mode saving him by turning away from his double-take. "You-you're _sorry_?"

"O'course-for many things." The sphere turned, and even though it still did not reveal its driver, Yusei knew they were looking directly at him. "For starters, unlike you, I'm not a fan of ruining someone's mood-or life-on every little roadblock they throw my way."

"Yeah, you still have yet to tell me how exactly that ruining happened!" Yusei retorted. "And also why you chose now of all times to get payback!"

"Due time's a funny thing-the people who most need to abide by it _don't_. But abiding by basic standards is probably another one of the failings I'm gonna address with you and these Signers-isn't that so, oh wonderful Satellite _Falling_ Star?"

You could hear the aforementioned Duelist's heart hit his seat at those words. _Satellite Falling Star?! The only other person who's called me that was….KIRYU!_

Right over his fallen form at the end of Ccapac Apu's attack, even! Was this nightmare replaying again for him?!

But there were no signal fires from the Nazca Line tracks that normally signaled the Duel of a Dark Signer! And those monsters that had intercepted him back at the building were far too different from the Infernity insurgents that were his former friend's long-standing trademark.

Yet, this Duelist had cut him off from Speed World-a thing though impossible at this current state-had the old dog Kiryu gained new tricks?

Unfortunately, his pregnant pause gave this rogue rider a chance to make their move. "Goody, guilt's setting in apparently. I'll make this easy on you then, for one turn only. I draw!" With this, a field of six little holographic card imprints flickered onto the side of the driver-containing chrome sphere. They stayed in place even as the sphere turned back to face down the winding, junk-lined roads.

"Well then, _I'll_ start things off on my end with the Spell, 'Factory Re-Set''! This allows me to draw 1 card on each of the first two monsters that I Set this turn, as well as allow me the ability to conduct two more Normal Sets this turn, though I'll take five hundred damage for each Set monster this turn!" Simultaneously, 1 card shown on the viewer on the side of the silver D-Runner winked out of existence-proof that that image shower was of his opponent's hand-and an image of the genuine article of the card.

"Pity that I can't play any more Normal Spells or Special Summon monsters the turn I used this-but for all I'll be doing today, it'll be worth it. My first Set monster is getting its mission statement…now!" Set card #1 in the Monster Zone was shown before the Life Points of Yusei's incognito foe's dropped to 3500, and the reader indicated the rider's hand-loss had been recouped by a draw.

"Second verse, same as the first!" And with this another Set monster came to the field, Yusei's mystery man took another Life Point hit to 3000, and another card was drawn. _At least this is it for the hand draws-any further setting on their part is only being rewarded with pain._ Then why did Yusei feel even more uneasy now?

"And now for my Normal Summon of the night-Come forth, my secretive 'Chrome Star Agent'-codename, 'Forgotten One'!" A gigantic cannon jutted out of the portal holding it. Almost immediately after, the Level Four long-haired warrior behind it barreled her way onto the field, flowing jet-black coat and staunch stance providing a chilling air to accompany its oversized weapon. **[EARTH/Warrior/Tuner/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 700]**

 _Chrome Star_ Agents _….so that's the reason behind the focus around face-down cards. Are they trying to bait me out, then?_ If they were, it was working-one look at 'Chrome Star Agent – Forgotten One', and Yusei knew it could have its pick of the litter with his field. And he wasn't so sure-even with the Special Summoned surprises of his opponent on hiatus for the turn, that he wanted to see if this kid would do anything more before heading to the Battle Phase and blowing away his monsters.

So…

"Not so fast! Before you make another move, this 'Steam Synchron' of mine will make his! And it'll make for a real light-show because it allows me to perform a Synchro Summon, even if it's not my turn! So I tune it with my Level Three 'Junk Forward' and my Level Two 'Synchron Carrier'!" Without a second to spare, Steam Synchron's components and pipes began to belch that aforementioned cloud, right before it disappeared into a column of speedometer rings. Three in fact, that the now-soaring Junk Forward and Synchron Carrier would soon be surrounded with.

"From three comes one, and from one comes great power! I Synchro Summon 'Stardust Dragon'!"

The two monsters within those rings were soon swallowed up by a column of light that bisected those rings to Yusei's side- but even that paled in vibrancy to the next four words of the Satellite Shooting Star, as invigorating as they were iconic. _"Let's rev it up!_ **"**

Almost on command, the light broke to be replaced by another-pouring from the luminous skin of the Level 8 Signer Dragon, a brilliant avatar of sharp claws, sharper eyes, and sleek form. **[WIND/Dragon/Synchro/Level 8 2500 ATK/2000 DEF]**

Almost immediately, the person-containing orb in the middle of Yusei's rival D-Runner turned to him-and the chrome cockpit finally began to open, a blinding field of mist pouring out of its every widening crevice. _So my mystery foe's prepared to face me and my Stardust Dragon face-to-face… Finally, I'll have some an-_

Yusei's inner diatribe was interrupted once more by the glowing sigil on his arm-the sign of the Crimson Dragon's head the Synchro he held embodied a part of. Like always, he would not be the only one to witness this event.

* * *

Over in the distant edge of the Satellite-where the Signer victory party had turned into the relatively empty garage of Yusei's for better protection-Crow and Luna's arms came alight with the same symbols of the symbol of the Crimson Dragon. "Assuming I haven't had too much to drink, is that a good sign?" Mima piped in.

"Should be…it's not hurting them or anything." Trudge pointed out. "Just to be sure though, kid…"

"No, it's fine." Luna nodded. "But I think _that's_ the reason why!"

And her finger shot right to the distant yet very visible Stardust Dragon cutting across the sky. "If it's moving, our guy's definitely in a Turbo Duel-and if it's _this_ fast after he left that it came out, he's really in the fight of his life," Crow explained. "If not for Leo, Luna, and the others, I'd join in to see what's up."

Mima folder her arms. "Don't we know, with the way you and Jack were at each other's throats-WAITASEC, C-CARLY! What are you _doing!?_ "

For Carly was already trying to rush to Crow and Luna, babbling about the shock of the signs that had appeared on the Signers' wrists and where they could come from. She was only deterred by Trudge and Mima's arms looping around her. Well, that and the latter Sector Security member's verbal bombardment into Carly's ear about the insensitivity of burying two obviously 'distressed' friends with business questions, altruistic as they may be.

Ignoring it-and almost doing the same with the calming hand and bushy smile her brother Leo shot his way, Luna let her hand fall back to her side. "I just hope Jack and Akiza are seeing this-and are as safe as we are. Because I don't know…"

* * *

 _…what that starstruck show-off is thinking! Could he have picked a_ worse _time for a Turbo Duel?_

So came the mental retort from the Master of Faster. He had set out with Wheel of Fortune on a shortcut route to the building where the Black Rose had risen over-using an Atlas-known route that had taken him out of Yusei's trajectory-only for a massive traffic jam to delay him for a crucial span of time. Apparently, though, Jack had clearly wasted precious time in thinking the Satellite Shooting Star would stay at this dilapidated location long.

Regardless, Jack's blood still ran hot for a chance to meet the Duelist who had taken on the ex-Arcadian. Half of that heat came out of anticipation for a good fight against the Duelist who had willingly taken on his fellow Signer. _Fellow?,_ he thought wryly at this point, then quashed the thought; she had the sigil, clearly that fanciful Crimson Dragon saw something in her, so should he!

The other half of the equation into why Jack's fiery temper was in its current high was from his anger at whoever would so cowardly pounce on one of their number in the near-dead of night. In fact, the ex-King had only been delayed his entry into the building Akiza had her Duel in by Stardust Dragon's flight-in a path away from him and the building. _Yusei had better be handling the punk that pushed Akiza to that brink, or he'll be sorry-I can promise him that!_

Just then, the doors threw themselves open.

Jack turned on his heels to retaliate against the new threat-then froze as he realized his fury would have been directed against an injured Akiza Izinski. _Speak of Ha Des,_ Jack didn't say in half-relief, half-disbelief. Mainly because the ex-Black Rose Witch took that time to make her ragged voice heard.

"Had to take….six flights of stairs….avoid that green-haired lunatic…..Jack, you need to know something…"

"Whatever it is can wait until you're safe, _Ra_ knows why Yusei hasn't made sure of that already!"

Akiza tried to start up again and went into a coughing fit-possibly a byproduct of her flight down the stairwells. "No….it's….you need to hear this before she…."

"-Oh come on, leaving so soon? By all means, let the Witch brainstorm for me-it'd be the most exercise that organ's gotten in _months_."

This time, Jack's ire would be properly aimed-at the 'green-haired lunatic' of Aki's fears. Sickly green, in fact-her hair was an almost blatant mockery of the redhead Signer. A curtain of almost lightning bolt-like tresses that almost reached her nearly-bared stomach at the front, and swept up to reveal a partially-shaved head in the back almost defied reality. What hung in the back of the cropped hair, however, was an almost fin-like metallic tail that connected into ports of metallic rib-cage like armor with green highlights, ringing her ribs, shoulders, legs, forearms, neck…

…and most notably, tightly arranged around her eyes. But when her green Duel Disk shot out, the arm attached to it all the more intimidating since it held a card in it, Jack took notice.

Correction-her hand held a card that featured a picture of an apparently sentient tornado with an iron mask and claws the only signifiers of its limbs. And it was not simply imposed on the card, but shooting out of it-and toward the two Signers.

Jack, with just under 100 pounds of dead weight in the faint Akiza-considered it a modern miracle that he avoided that cyclone-propelled claw. But his relief turned to regret when the claw simply continued on its merry way and wrapped around his Wheel of Fortune-not damaging it, but keeping him from accessing it.

"HEY!" Jack took this about as well as expected. "Unhand my D-Wheel and maybe, just _maybe_ , I'll settle for simply Dueling you into submission! Consider it my last and only offer of the mercy rule-especially if you're the one responsible for Akiza's state!"

"Save your threats for someone who's scared-of Dueling, beating Signers, or you." The girl's steps upon the entrance to the building were surprisingly light for the footwear adorning them. "I'm doing this to keep your cowardice from making me lose the little patience I have left with this world.

Since you're the real reason I've even been sent here, though, I will take you up on that Dueling offer-to see what prize I win for making you become the second Signer to fall at my feet." The girl finished her walk at the edge of the building she had just exited, Jack at the other front end, the stars and his corralled D-Wheel between them both. "And should you prevail, then you're free to take Aki and crawl back to whatever hole you came from."

"I accept your challenge-if only to make sure that thing you've spawned comes off my wheel the hard way! Akiza, stay behind me-it's time I teach this lout some manners." Jack's Duel Disk-thankfully retrieved from his D-Wheel before its unfortunate date with this sentient twister-sprang to action. _Not that I'd blame Yusei for skipping on this fight now, though,_ thought the Master of Faster. _Cl_ _early, this is one of those Psychic Duelists, so I'll have to make this Duel quick._

"You? Teach _me_ anything?" The girl's Duel Disk jutted out to full operation mode as well. "How I wish that sell-out behind you hadn't destroyed Arcadia-that ego of yours would be the _first thing_ they'd rid you of."

 _Arcadia?! Didn't Akiza send the higher ups of that cult packing before?!_ Jack did not busy himself with asking out loud. The current Duel would leave him far more than enough to handle without that nagging thought in the back of his mind of whether Yusei was being tied up with another Arcadian assailant.

"Let's Duel!"

"My pleasure!"

4000 LP apiece, the new Signer/Arcadia battle began anew. "Ladies first, no matter how _loosely_ you fit the definition," snapped Jack.

"Keep flapping that tongue, Atlas-I _love_ moving trophies." The mystery girl took a look at her cards. "To you, however, the name you should be looking to hold on it is Evy." And with that, her move commenced. "I'll start this simple matter off with the effect of my 'Tiago Steelswipe, the Torque Expert' in my hand-which allows me to add another WIND Tuner from my Deck to my hand by revealing him and returning him to the Deck! So he'll be giving me a windfall even before I start storming the field-" and Tiago was revealed and deposited back into the Deck, "-with 'Chao and Stride, the Torque Pacesetters'!"

Hand still at five cards, Jack was about to inquire about the point of this hand shuffling tactic-only for the emerald-haired enigma to respond in kind. "Now, since I returned a Torque monster to the Deck, I Special Summon 'Ariana Swifteye, the Torque Spearhead' from my hand!" An oddly blue rift produced the armored paladin, her weapon a half-harp half-spear, and her face all business. **[WIND/Fairy/Level 4/1500 ATK/1000 DEF]**

"With her in hand, I'll follow this up with another knight –I Normal Summon 'Donna Fairbreeze, the Torque Trainer' in Defense Mode!" A similarly metal-clad maiden took a point next to Ariana, wielding a gigantic javelin and round shield. **[WIND/Psychic/Level 4/1500 ATK/1500 DEF]**

"Then I Set 1 card face-down and end my turn! Should be enough for you to handle, o crownless one!" Well, that was an amazingly fast turn, Jack mused, as Evy's last card fizzled onto the field. "I'll be happy to show your move as the foolish waste of time it was. I draw!" 6 cards in hand, and Jack felt significantly better about his chances of a swift win against this speed freak.

"Two 1500 ATK monsters and a face-down? This is child's play against a King, and you're gonna see how!"

 **"Jack!"**

He turned to face Akiza again, who had this time regained enough of her stance to get back to one knee. The sweat drenching her coat and puffy undershirt told the story of how much further she had to go for being okay. "It's…what she has in her hand…and her instant-speed Synchros….that you have to-"

Almost immediately Akiza's voice went out-even though her lips still moved, Jack could no longer hear a sound that spilled from them. And he had a sinking feeling he knew what-or who-was responsible.

Turning back to face Evy, Jack noticed the green-haired Duelist had thrown a card to her side this time-though it was too far away to read, the figure that floated atop it was unmistakable. 'Sage of Silence' was its name, and its staff pointing directly at the ex-Black Rose Witch showed that she had nullified Aki's voice as per her namesake. "You're becoming more insane by the minute, Evy-and that's saying something!"

"You have an opening move to get to, Atlas. I'm simply helping with keeping a….distraction…from scattering your thoughts to the winds. Want you at your peak before I push you down, after all."

Jack smiled. "Regardless, Evy, one thing you didn't count on is this-Aki told me everything I needed to know when she mentioned your instant speed Synchros. This weak front you've put the is just that-a front, and I'll bet that card you have face down is an 'Urgent Tuning', and that'll be all you need to Synchro Summon. One problem, though-"

Jack's face twisted in fury. "I don't plan on letting you get to that point! Since you have two monsters on your field, I can Normal Summon this behemoth of mine without Tributing a monster-go, 'Power Invader'!" Well, a hulking, yellow-eyed titan would certainly be the way to go if you're outnumbered, as Jack's field now showed. **[DARK/Fiend/Level 5/2200 ATK/0 DEF]**

Next, I activate 'Double Summon', to let me bring another monster out to put my three-part plan into place-go, 'Force Resonator'!" The WATER Fiend Tuner popped up next to Power Invader, tuning fork and tiny form only eclipsed further by the gigantic electricity-wrapped ball lodged behind it. **[WATER/Fiend/Tuner/Level 2/500 ATK/500 DEF]**

"And now with this in hand, this Duel is through! I tune my Level Two 'Force Resonator'…" The aforementioned monster clanged its instruments together, then flashed into a pair of shimmering rings. "…with my Level Five 'Power Invader'!" Almost instantly, the large Fiend leaped into the radius of the rings, turning into that all-too-familiar orange aura. "This star of doom is about to spell yours with its solemn light! It's time for your Judgment Day, courtesy of my great judge!"

A column of light finally burst beside both Jack and Akiza.

"I Synchro Summon…."

And then a giant scythe came out of the light beam.

"….the Level Seven 'Dark Highlander'!"

The figure, not waiting for the light show to end, cut itself out of the luminous column surrounding it with its giant weapon-revealing a giant Fiend draped in black and gold patterned armor, a blue robe and a grin worthy of Neck Hunter. **[DARK/Fiend/Synchro/Level 7/2800 ATK/2300 DEF]**

"Ready for this, Evy? Its Special ability, **'Tropic Doom',** means you're out of luck, time, and options-because it prevents any further Synchro Summons while it's face-up on the field!"

Evy's eyebrows unbalanced at this. "Well, my. Impressive Jack. But you've still done nothing but delay the defeat."

"Indeed Evy-YOUR defeat!" the Master of Faster proclaimed. "And I'm through with burning time, it's time Dark Highlander burned you! Strike down her Ariana with **Polar Doom**!" A single bound put the Highlander into quick orbit, before it and its scythe came crashing down, in hopes of landing on the knight's crown.

The Psychic paladin, however, had other plans.

"Perhaps some sacrifice is needed for your Highlander-but it won't be my Spearhead! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, 'Torque Relay Strike'!" This allows me to Special Summon a "Torque" monster from my Deck, halve its ATK and have it take the hit for another one of my monsters-the 'Tiago' I put back in my Deck should be the breath of fresh air Ariana's _hoped_ for!" With a flash, the Torque Expert found its way back onto the field, rapier at the ready to try and parry the Highlander's blow-now at six hundred fifty ATK to Highlander's whopping twenty-eight hundred. Any thoughts of Jack have an even easier route to ruination for Evy, however, were quickly quelled.

"That's far from all, crownless-now I can activate Tiago's ability! All it takes is for me to reveal 1 "Torque" monster in my hand and return it to my Deck, in order to jump up another monster's Level on the field by Tiago's Level-like my Torque Queen, 'Jade Nevermore'-and put it in a different battle position from him! A taste of 'Steel Resolution' should stop your 'Highlander' cold!" Indeed, the lime-green buccaneer's spinning into a steel-lined Tornado forced back the powerful Synchro and switched it to Defense Mode.

"Really?! All this talk about taking the fight to me and you deflect it when I bring it to you?" Jack snorted. "Expected more-well, maybe that's not so, since, with Highlander on the field, you wouldn't be able to present more."

"Seems that witch of yours behind you isn't the only Signer wrong about _everything_ -see, that 'Jade Nevermore' of mine I returned from my hand to the Deck has an ability fit for a queen! When she's returned to the Deck, she can Summon herself straight to the field-all twenty-seven hundred points of her!" And a whipping wind swept the Dueling field, heralding the arrival of the Swift Savior, a flurry of baggy white clothes, scarlet hair, and blackened wings. **[WIND/Fairy/Level 7/2700 ATK/1300 DEF]**

"Pity she loses 300 of those points from being Summoned this way," Jack added, seeing Jade's ATK come down to 2400 and its DEF to 1000. "Or joy. Pity or joy, they've gotten mixed up a bit. I Set 1 card then, and end my turn."

"Then 'Torque Relay Strike's effect finally goes through, I'm afraid. It'll return my Torque monster with the highest Level from my field to my hand, so you'll be saved Jade's power for now". Jade bid farewell to the playing field with a shining burst of light. Evy's hand, however, would be brought back to the 2 she originally had-and her next turn's draw brought it to 3. "Now, I activate my Field Spell: 'Torquia, Home of the Swiftest'!"

A shimmering gleam engulfed the battlefield before it all disappeared into a field of green sparkles-a giant silver tower with emeralds jutting out of it from behind the Arcadia assailant's back.

"Its ability allows me to put a "Torque" monster and a "Swiftest" Spell Card from my Deck into the Graveyard to draw a card-and each following turn, as long as I do this, a "Torque" monster I control can activate its effects without returning a card to the Deck!" For now, however, I send my 'Hirokou, the Torque Renewer', and my 'Survival of the Swiftest' Spell out from my Deck, to draw once more." After the two cards were in the GY, again Evy's hand was at 3. "And now I activate 'Ariana's' special ability, which lets me take up another Torque card from my hand and shuffle it into my Deck-and once again it'll be Jade Nevermore, so you know what's here's to stay, Atlas!"

"It's been _two turns_ and I've had my fill of that Queen already!" Jack shouted as Jade touched down on Evy's field once more.

Evy shook her head. "She's no longer your biggest threat, however-because Ariana's ability doesn't just return a card from the field to hand, but also allows for a "Torque" monster with 1000 or less DEF to double its original ATK! Herself, for example, to rise to a hefty 2400!" With a raise of her harp-lance, Ariana's power climbed to phenomenal heights, now meaning that two of Evy's monsters were fit to take down the Dark Highlander on Jack's field. "Jade, rid me of that oversized eyesore with your ' **Torque Nightrain** '!"

As Jade took to the sky, the ex-King sought to bring it down. "Not this time, Evy! Your birds about to be plucked with my 'Shadow Spell', which takes out 700 ATK from your Torque Queen and stop its attack!" And under the Queen, a flurry of chains quickly lashed around each of its limbs, anchoring them to each other and sending the royal anthropomorphic to the floor. It struggled to its feet, but the chains tightened again and kept it just off its knees.

Evy's eyes-hidden behind that metal visor-could not shoot the daggers they so clearly wanted to send the Master of Faster's way. But her words would shoot all the venom her vision would not.

"How dare you! Ariana will do the job Jade cannot, then-take down the Highlander with your ' **Torque Sonata** '!" The sound the harp of Ariana's made as it crashed into Dark Highlander would not go unnoticed by Akiza, who silently slapped hands to her ears at the destruction of Jack's Synchro Monster. The Sage of Evy's was still doing its work, it seemed.

And Evy was just starting hers. "I activate the card I just gained with Torquia-the Quick-Play Spell, 'Hunt of the Swiftest'! It replenishes my hand with 2 Quick-Play Spells from my Graveyard-in this case, my 'Torque Relay Strike' and the 'Survival of the Swiftest' that I just lost-then makes me send a Torque monster from my GY back to the Deck-so 'Hirokou's' gets a return ticket back to my Deck.

Now I activate 'Survival of the Swiftest' to get a non-Tuner 'Torque' monster out of my Deck-in this case, my 'Alin Bladeblitz, the Torque Enforcer'!"

Evy's scowl deepened.

"Tiago, you may have 650 ATK, but _anything_ that'll wipe that smirk off that crownless wonder will suit me fine today-go with-"

Evy felt the warp before she saw the entire scene freeze in front of her-and this time, the girl-this Aspect boss-came to her from nothingness in a slow, deliberate walk. Evy, however, was less fazed by her sudden drop-in than her other compatriots.

"If _this_ is about that punk Atlas-I'm literally in the middle of fighting him now. Akiza was a roadblock and a bait doll-she _always_ was, and I still remember what we came here to-"

"Look at your field and what you're about to do with it." The boss finally finished in front of her. "And then say again that Akiza's something far removed from your mind."

The Psychic Pacesetter finally slumped. "650 ATK-yes, I _get it._ But come one, you've had issues with the Signer's arrogant attitudes before, I thought you'd be _happy_ I'm about to start paying them back in kind!"

"Not when you're putting a mile-long weak spot in your formation to get a cheap shot off." The figure turned to look at the Sage of Silence still to the left of Evy. "Plus I'm pretty sure that projection of yours is putting a strain on your power control from how long you've been shutting up Black Rose with it."

"Not this, okay? Not now-keeping her from spilling my Deck's secrets-"

"Is something we consider before making her the first target, _then_ losing her, then making an enemy of another Signer in the next five minutes!" the boss's tone took a hard edge for the first time in interaction with her comrades. "Look, Evy. You've lost so much to her and to the Signer's crusade against Arcadia. I've known this ever since I met you, fostered you, helped you finish your adjustment to that suit you've got on that you need just to keep from bumping into every wall and blowing apart every window in the Dystopia-"

Evy's head snapped up to meet her, a pair of holes certainly being burned through her visor at the words.

"Okay, I had to go there. And I'm sorry. I'm _sorry._ But who is this idiocy in your ironclad attrition strategy helping? Go fast, go hard, get the win. _You_ said this to me. Said that you, of all the Aspect members, knew what it took to endure and replace these false heroes in the Signers." The boss finally placed a hand over her eyes, the slight exasperation coming through.

"Full disclosure. Save and Ceren-they're the only ones I don't have to constantly keep reminding of what it is we all came here to do. Please be the third for me. For all of us. Too much has already come through these worlds for us to be anything but our best…"

"…when we take the reigns in our worlds again and try to do right by them." Evy finished. "I won't let you down, I promise."

"You haven't even done that now." A light chuckle accentuates Evy's leader's relaxed stance. "We're getting close to the cutoff point for our time here, though. And Jack'll likely Summon Red Dragon Archfiend-Stardust has already come out."

The figure turned to leave. "I'll swing by Save after this-you've got the Duel secure, but let's see how well Jack can break your formation-if he even can."

Evy cocked one hip and balanced her fist on it. "You saying I'm not good enough for him now? Tsk, tsk."

"He is the former Fortune Cup Champion. And Yusei….well, he's a rather strange one, even for all the 'heroes' we've met." The boss's figure started fizzling away, even as Evy turned and prepared for the time-freeze to end-and to keep from making her Tiago attack. "But as long as we all keep our wits about us, we can get through this. Save only needs to get the stars out of her eyes now and our Aspect's plan is assured-just keep a hand on your callback switch."

Evy nodded. Her boss's figure was now only visible by her piercing eyes, the rest lost to the rift she was sinking back into.

"Second things get too hairy, we'll pull them all back…"

* * *

 _"and in our world, put them all down."_ said the winged spirit behind the Aspect boos, again back at her mentor's side even as she took in the comforts of the Dystopia of Desire again.

* * *

Back in the Satellite, as the cockpit opened, Yusei steeled himself for who would be seen, apparently marveling at the sight of his Synchro dragon cutting a path across the otherwise blank night sky. Was it some hulking stranger-some renegade criminal? _Kiryu?_ the Satellite superstar refused to add, for fear of making it true by will.

But the person he saw nestled at the center of that shell of steel nearly made his jaw drop. In it was a girl-who couldn't have been more the Rally's age by the looks of her. Yet, she was dressed in an incredibly elaborate and design-laden silver-on black cloak. The hood itself coated in fur to almost add a lion cub-like appearance to her face-notable mainly by the scar that looped from under her chin and came within a whisker of intersecting with her left eye.

Now, there was only a rising wave of concern in Yusei's heart-for there was no way that a person that young could, or should have, been riding the elaborate D-Runner she had. Whoever was guiding that motorcycle through some GPS or technology-aided trick, however….

"Are you okay? Is the guy who's controlling that bike controlling you too?"

And then the girl shook her head away from Stardust Dragon.

Words struggled to brew up in her throat, but none of them came out.

Until, once again, the world in front of her eyes shuddered and stopped.

But not because of the D-Runner jumping the trash-heaps or hitting something-no, this event would be courtesy of an all-too-familiar face to her.

One currently staring at Yusei, still with eyes focused on Save even as she was focused on the new arrival.

Finally, the driver girl spoke. "I-I don't know what to say! After all that I did to him-and he has something that brilliant as a monster? I mean, he can't be as bad as what he's made out to be! Maybe it was some other Enforcer who looked like him that, it has to be-"

"Calm down, Save." The girl was still looking at Yusei, though. "I assure you, he was an Enforcer too. Maybe not the one that stormed your Duel clan and destroyed it-but he's one of them."

"But that was only when he didn't know me!"

"And now that he does, he doesn't see you as the Duelist you are-but as the Duelist someone's _forcing you_ to be. As if Dueling prodigies like yourself are nonexistent-Esper Roba, and Weevil Underwood, and a whole host of legends of centuries past."

Save's shoulders finally slumped. "I can change this though, can't I?"

Her boss shrugged, finally breaking contact with Yusei and turning to walk the length of the road back to Save.

"Of course. But only if you quit getting caught up on his show and make one of your own. One that'll force him to see the full depths of what his actions in the past enabled. How many lives it ruined."

At Save's side now, the girl leaned back onto the shell containing Save's driver's seat and pointed to the Stardust Signer once more. "I mean the event you saw _yourself_ , on that fateful day when the sun went out forever. The one where that white-haired Enforcer, with no reason, no mercy and no quarter given, stormed your compound, took your friends' cards, fought your boss to such a ruthless extent that it caused the place to collapse. And the other three-the ones you'd shared food and stories with when you first met-rushed past your broken body to him and ate up his lies about how they turned on him. Who was there when that happened?"

Save looked up, a new apprehension widening her eyes and shrinking her pupils. " _Yusei Fudo_. And they got rewarded for it with those glowing signs and awesome powers and…I grew up with those people-we were going to make it big, I was being prepared by the Swanks to be the youngest Turbo Duelist in history! And those….those…!"

"Don't." The boss shook her head. "Just...keep that in mind when you face down Yusei now. Even if this is not who he is, _it's what he enabled_. Your progress here is a testament to not only the potential of your clan before the Enforcers ran through it-but of all the other clans that fell to such brutal, despicable tactics as yours."

"O-okay." Save readjusted in her seat.

Almost immediately, the boss was by her side, Save's hands in hers. "I….I'm sorry for bringing that up. I was only trying to help you take this seriously. Look, if this is all too much-I'll blow the cover, I'll come down and face Yusei myself. Just say the word."

Save looked up to meet her eyes-and indeed, light tears dotted them. "Don't. Not for me-I'm no kid. Not after….what I've been through. I don't get to be one, I don't get to have it easy, and I don't get to look _weak_. I did once before." The Chrome Star Duelist straightened up in her seat, fingering the chain of a rather large globe-like bauble at her neck... "And you literally know the rest."

"…I see." The Aspect boss turned away. "I'll see to the last of us at Duel Academy. Keep in touch if it gets too much. Yusei has a lot of surprises and the patience to wait for the right time to use them all. So do you. Use it to your advantage."

With that, the girl in front of Save vanished, and the scene returned to normal-the wind whipping through Save's hair as she finally mustered her response-though to the Satellite Shooting Star, only a second or six had passed.

"Only person in control here, Yuse, is the youngest Turbo Duelist of all time and Chrome Star Crusader-Save Haranou, at your service." With a hand on the wheel of her auto-piloted Duel Runner (a force of habit), she offered the other to Yusei in a mockery of a handshake.

"And yet, you're this obsessed with something I've done. Care to fill me in on exactly what, now that Stardust is over your head?" Yusei inquired-hoping that Save's original fascination with his Synchro might elicit more information about that situation…

Unfortunately, the spell Stardust has cast had inexplicably worn its magic. The clandestine cruiser simply shook her head. "Nuh uh! That'll only come over my busted Runner! Since that seems to be the only way you find out about everyone you leave under your notice! And since I'm not up for attacking that Stardust right now, I'll set this 1 final card and end my turn!" The score still stood at Save's 3000 to Yusei's 4000-but with three monsters to Save's name, Yusei would have his work cut out for him keeping up with the Chrome Star crusader's defenses.

The Signer's next draw, however, would go a long way toward extending his field of play.

"First off, I activate my new Spell, 'Scrap-Iron Sentinel'!" The Quick-Play Yusei had just drawn fizzled to life. "By sending a card from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard, this Spell allows to either Special Summon a Junk monster from my hand, or a Machine Tuner from my Graveyard that was sent there since this turn or the last! So the top card of my Deck this time is…."

And Yusei's mill turned up…'Bri Synchron'! _Perfect._ Two inner voices would utter that-Yusei's in gratified anticipation and Save's in growing dread.

"Well now, I guess the Soldier can bring back the Tuner I just left to there! Take flight, 'Bri Synchron'!" And the emerald android finally took a position next to Stardust. **[EARTH/Machine/Tuner/Level 4/1500 ATK/1100 DEF]**

"And thanks in part to the Summon, not only does 'Bri Warrior' gain another Level, bringing it to Level Five, but Scrap-Iron Soldier goes face-down on the field instead of the Graveyard since I activated it from my hand!" And the number of Yusei's set cards was back at two once more. "Next, another Synchron's going to join the party-my 'Junk Synchron'!" Another stout Synchron, much like Steam before it, would be called to action-this one an orange enigma with a gigantic rip-cord motor attached to its back. **[DARK/Machine/Tuner/Level 3/1300 ATK/500 DEF]**

"Junk Synchron's not exactly going stag either-his special ability allows me to bring back a Level Two or lower monster from my Graveyard, like the 'Tuningware' I sent there last turn!" With this, Junk Synchron disappeared into another portal that lay at his feet-only to come back with the tiny Level 1 frying-pan helmeted robot in back tow. **[LIGHT/Machine/Level 1/100 ATK/300 DEF]**

"Now I tune my Level Four 'Bri Synchron' with my 'Tuningware', to Synchro Summon out 'Bri Warrior'!" Once again, that all too familiar speedometer ring-to-light-pillar process brought out another monster-this time, a white-bordered bionic with some sharp claws for hands. A sleek green body with jet-like wings decorated with golden rings finished its look-and the turbulent look behind its glowing eyes make it look like it'd be happy to finish Saves' field in turn. **[EARTH/Warrior/Synchro/Level 6/2000 ATK/1400 DEF]**

"Tuningware's' use isn't through yet, though-it allows me to draw another card since it was used for a Synchro Summon this turn!" And Yusei again had 1 card in hand. "Plus, 'Bri Synchron's' ability gives. 'Bri Warrior' another eight hundred Attack Points to work with!" And now, Bri Warrior stood at an impressive twenty-eight hundred Attack Points.

"Oh _man_ ….I mean, well at least the monster looks nice." The subterfuge-loving Duelist knuckled one fist into the bottom of her chin as she looked back at the monster.

"Well, now that that's all over and done with, one of Bri Warrior's two attacks that it gets this turn should go a long way to making sure your Forgotten One goes out with a bang! Let it rip, Bri, with your **Brilliant Stride**!" And as the advancing android made its way to Save's monster, claws a silver flash among the blue waves of the rockets it uses to steer itself toward the Agent, Save would strike again with another complex ploy.

"First it'll have to hit my Agent-and she's got a new way to blend into the crowd! Go, 'Operation Outbreak'!" Save's face-down Quick-Play Spell Card finally revealed itself and showcased two other cards shooting out of Save's Deck and shrouding themselves alongside the Warrior Tuner.

"What's this?"

"Simple well-placed misdirection-see, the Forgotten One's made a trio with two other 'Operation' cards from my Deck-and for each one of the 'Operation' cards you hit, I draw a card. But if you still make your mark on Forgotten One, half of the difference between your monster's ATK and my monster's DEF get cut out of my Life Points!"

Yusei, almost seriously deliberated whether to attack or not. The thought of Akiza, still possibly at the mercy of whoever had Dueled her (though he certainly hoped otherwise) made his decision for him.

"Bri Warrior, go for the center card again!"

Once again, Bri Warrior set on a path for the center piece-and Save Haranou could only watch in muted anticipation and slight horror as the blade barrage of the powerful Synchro Warrior came in.

And the attack finally hit its mark-on an 'Operation' Continuous Spell, the 'Operation PrivateEye', in fact. "Well, that's cool, since the 'PrivateEye's' destruction gives me three hundred Life Points for each face-up monster you control; that's three, so it should be 900!" Save's Life Points shot up to 3900 on the spot, and Yusei gritted his teeth.

 _If I hit another 'PrivateEye' that she Set, she'll be at 4800, and I'll be further from ending this Duel than I was at the _beginning! _Time to switch to a different tack._

Yusei's thought process finished, he turned his new Synchro's attention to another face-down of Save's-the untouched left-most card. Perhaps targeting one of the cards the Chrome Star CEO had set before OutBreak arrived would yield better luck.

"Bri Warrior, your second strike goes at the leftmost card!" The Level Six WIND Warrior took aim at this card-all twenty-eight hundred points of it-and a flurry of clawed blades tore through it. The card, however, revealed itself to be another Chrome Star Agent-

"-codename, 'Chosen One'..." **[EARTH/Warrior/Tuner/Level 3/1400 ATK/400 DEF]** "...has a little going away present for you as well-second it hits the GY, you take a hundred damage for each face-down card on the field. Five of those here…"

"…comes out to five hundred points of damage," Yusei finished for her, keeping his stance firm even as the electricity from the spinning wheels of the destroyed Tuner hit his D-Runner, and the Chrome Star Agent-Chosen One's **Chariot Crasher** strike put his Life Points to 3500.

Not the change in pace the Satellite Shooting Star was hoping for, but he was definitely cured of his obsession with avoiding the OutBreak cards at all cost. And just his luck, he had another Synchro to take the precision blow to that two-card monte.

"Stardust Dragon, it's time we bring more light to the shadows of the Chrome Stars-hit the card at the new rightmost end with **Cosmic Flare!"**

And Stardust's signature stream of power raced at that card. Thankfully curving along with the two riders as their race along the junkyard hit an upward facing ramp, leading to a defunct train station-and the rails that threaded through the Satellite.

However, for Stardust Dragon, its attack was about to hit a wall. "From my hand, I'll keep my 'Forgotten One' safe, with another 'Chrome Star Agent'-codename, 'Rouge'! By sending him from my hand to the Graveyard, he takes any hits my Agent would for the rest of this turn!" The renegade researcher's appearance in front of the now blue-tinged defending Tuner would serve as a shock to the Stardust Signer. The **Rogue Reflector** it conjured to push back the powerful attack of Yusei's dragon would only make the spectacle more amazing.

But Yusei had yet one more attack to push.

"Go, Junk Synchron your target's the new rightmost card!" Junk Synchron turned and charged straight at the card, revealing it to be the 'Chrome Star Agent - Number 13'. Its DEF was equal to Junk Synchron's ATK, though… **[EARTH/Warrior/Level 3/1300 ATK/1300 DEF]**

"So your Junk Synchron and my Agent both survive this battle-and so do your Life Points!" Save pouted at this. "And since this Battle Phase is over, the other card I set with 'Operation OutBreak' is sent to the Graveyard as well, and I lose five hundred Life Points for it." The score now stood at 3400 for Save and 3500 for Yusei.

 _Mission accomplished, I guess,_ thought Yusei-he'd gone through a lot of effort for this, but he was now a cool hundred above the Chrome Star crusader. "I'll finish my turn with a face-down and leave the next move to you!"

And what a move it'd be, now that the two Turbo Duelists were on the parallel rails of the abandoned trains. Rails that Yusei, with a start, realized led and looped around close to the area where he'd last seen Akiza. This could be a two for one, he just had to keep the Duelist that was now speeding behind him occupied!

With that in mind, Yusei uttered the four words his enemy wished to hear….

* * *

"…I end my turn!"

Jack had only a minute to grasp what had happened. After it looked like Evy-this Psychic predator of Arcadian fame-was ready to force her weakened Tiago Steelswipe to attack, a split-second change came over her-and without a second to spare, ended her Battle Phase and quickly switched the buccaneer to Defense Mode. The Master of Faster would have asked _what gives_ , were it not for those four words.

A reprieve from the ravings and insults was welcome though-but not redeeming. _At least_ , Jack thought as he looked back at the muted Akiza, not just yet-he'd been rid of a promising Synchro Monster by this girl and that just wouldn't do. Not at _all._

"My turn then, and I'll start things off with a few new rules!" As Jack's newest draw gave him a new window of opportunity, he looked at Evy's field-though she had finally had no Set Spells and Traps to trip him up, he knew that he'd need to take back the field one part at a time. "First off, I'll bring back the Synchro you so helpfully _destroyed_ with the Normal Spell, ' **Shuffle Reborn** '!"

As the revival Spell came to life, the arms that sprouted from it opened a rift in the air in front of him, reached into it, and brought back the Dark Highlander, though it was once again in Defense Mode. "Fortunately for you, this card now comes with its special abilities negated! But he'll still serve a new purpose, and so will this-my 'Chain Resonator'!" Another spry tuning-fork wielding Fiend spiraled onto the field, this time with a circular length of coil behind it. **[LIGHT/Fiend/Tuner/Level 1100 ATK/100 DEF]**

"And whenever it's Normal Summoned while I control a Synchro, it can bring out another 'Resonator' from my Deck-like my old favorite, 'Dark Resonator'!" And finally, Jack's most iconic Resonator made landfall in Defense Mode, turning its fork and hammer in a cross as its jagged grin dared the opponent to make tracks with it. **[DARK/Fiend/Tuner/Level 3/1300 ATK 300 DEF]**

"Now it's time for the main event! I tune my Level One 'Chain Resonator' with my Level Seven 'Dark Highlander'!" This time, Chain Resonator's instrument clang turned it into a flaming ring, which the Highlander floating into before collapsing into seven stars within it.

Jack's grin, however, was as bright as the spear of shining light that cut through the ring a second later. "Time to turn up the heat-say hello to my glorious 'Red Dragon Archfiend'!" Just like that, the scarlet, wicked-horned Signer Dragon burst out of the prism and loomed over both Duelists' heads, its ragged wingspan almost touching the rails to the left of Jack and the abandoned building to his right. **[DARK/Dragon/Synchro/Level 8/3000 ATK/2000 DEF]**

" _Peachy…_ " Evy's eyes narrowed a bit at the sight of yet another one of her nemesis team's greatest monsters making its presence known. "I suppose you're getting right into the attack now?" she asked.

Jack snorted. " _Now_ who's being impatient? There's still another thing for my 'Shuffle Reborn' Spell in my Graveyard to do! By banishing it and returning a card from my field to my Deck, I can draw another card-but if it stays in my hand during the End Phase, it's banished as well! And I pick my Shadow Spell for that Spell to return!"

"Wait, what?!" the Emerald Arcadian roared in disbelief. "But that means that Jade's ATK becomes 700 points stronger again!" As stated, the aforementioned Torque queen rose to 2400 again. "Are you _trying_ to mock me?"

"No, your _stupid_ metal suit provides far more mockery than I can ever manage-and your puffed-up queen should be at its top form before Red Dragon Archfiend _knocks it down_!" With Shadow Spell now safely squirreled away in his Deck, Jack's next draw really served to make his grin go half-mast, but only for a second. "Oh would you look at that, it's my 'King Nova' Spell, which lets me take in two more cards since a monster that was Synchro Summoned using a DARK Fiend monster is on my board!"

His one card turned into two again, Jack now had a reason to further the pain. "Now, Red Dragon Archfiend, put that Queen down in flames, with your **Absolute Powerforce**!" One rush with its superheated claw later, and the Queen was defrocked, Evy six hundred Life Points poorer for the attack. She now stood at 3400 Life Points, and even the standing was a challenge after the blowback from the Red Dragon's attack.

"Don't worry, your Queen's not going down alone! And all her horses and men won't put your other monsters back together again with my 'Red Dragon Raigeki'!" Jack's newest Quick-Play Spell hit the field with all the thunder its name implied. "Since I destroyed a monster you controlled with a DARK Synchro Monster I controlled, this card takes out EVERY ONE of your monsters in one fell swoop-so the rest of your lineup's heading to the cleaners with a taste of my Synchro's absolute power!"

Evy panted in pain from the hit previous, but still had an answer to the Master of Faster. "Not while….Torquia….stands in your way. Its ability lets me prevent a Torque monster from going out to a card effect, by discarding 1 WIND monster….and shuffling 1 Spell or Trap from my Graveyard into the Deck. I'm sorry, my Torque Pacesetters….but your pain will preserve my pack." And with this, the Level 5 horseback duo stood valiantly in front of the Raigeki, stopping it with its body and an ear-rattling explosion before it could hit the other three WIND monsters of Evy's.

"Fine by me," Jack snorted. "See, for every monster of yours that avoided destruction, the power of my "Red Dragon Raigeki" also allows me to draw an extra card, so long as I discard 1 of them for every 3 I drew-that's three more cards for me! Then I'll set 2 cards, and discard my 'Vice Berserker' to Summon out my 'Power Giant', though it'll lose Levels equal to the Level 'Vice Berserker' had!" The now Level 3 crystalline colossus would immediately touchdown alongside the Dragon of Absolute Powerforce. **[EARTH/Rock/Level 6-3/2200 ATK/0 DEF]**

"Now I tune my Level Three 'Dark Resonator' with my Level Three 'Power Giant', to Synchro Summon…"

Another lance of light cut across the sleepy town.

"…the Level Six 'Supercharged Skull Archfiend'!"

A gigantic, wiry DARK Fiend cut its way through the beam of light its sharp arms and vice-like metal mandibles promising pain to any who'd even look at its horn-framed face wrong. **[DARK/Fiend/Synchro/Level 6/2500 ATK/1200 DEF]**

"And with all of this in hand, I end my turn!"

"I assume your little Supercharged Skull goes as well, right? Courtesy of your all **too** powerful dragon?" Evy tutted.

"Oh no, not for this powerful Fiend of mine-see, if its Synchro Summoned with a DARK Fiend, it can prevent itself from being destroyed by any means once a turn by returning a Level Four or lower DARK Fiend from my Graveyard to my hand, so even though the Dragon's fire may wash over it, it'll keep chugging on, granting me my Vice Berserker too! Let's see if _you_ can handle the heat now!"

Evy's eyes bugged out as she realized the situation she was in. Two powerful Synchros now ran the board, Ra knew what he'd put down to prevent any other assaults, and she only had three monsters that she'd neglected to follow through on a useful Synchro Summon due to her trying to reign in her temper….and succeeding too much by half.

She'd find a way around this. She HAD to.

"I draw, and am now going to show you a new breed of monsters-one without peer, without fear, and without escape! Even your Synchros themselves won't stand up to them!"

Jack's eyes finally widened. "What's this about-something _BETTER_ than a Synchro? Explain yourself, now!"

"This card's own method of Summon should do that for me-by using monsters and Spell or Trap Cards in equal measure, a new monster comes out, with power multiplied by each card used for its Summon-so, by using my Level 6 Spectre-Type monster 'Terrai, the Torque Groundskeeper', and my newly acquired 'Torque Relay Strike' Spell, I call on the power of the Advent!"

With the gigantic Spectre monster – _and what even is a SPECTRE-TYPE MONSTER?!_ Jack didn't immediately yell- taking point now, the Spell turned into a green light that stretched out into a giant DNA-like tower, the ends of one of the helixes splitting and warping open to reveal a shimmering gateway that the Groundskeeper was sucked into. Then the portal finally sparked with new electric life, and two silver hands emerged to grip its edges.

The Master of Faster was finally slow to respond-and his compatriot Signer, Akiza almost frozen to the spot with horror-to the monstrosity that was coming out of the gate. It was already making his Dragon Archfiend pale in size as the portal grew wider and wider to fit it through.

Finally, a face to match its phenomenal form ripped out of the helix portal-or rather two, from the mask that jauntily sat to the left of its metallic visage. Both faces, however, betrayed a ferocity that could span the very city they were Dueling in.

"I SUMMON the new face of eternity, the titan of true potential-known to YOU as the Level Seven Advent _Monster-'VITRO THE MASKED MARVEL'!"_

 _This shouldn't have had to be shown this early-but you've left me no choice, o dethroned one,_ the Arcadian assailant didn't mournfully add.

Because there was no way she could bear to return to her boss, after all this time she'd frittered away, and tell her that she owed her tail-between-the-legs position….

* * *

 **HERO TIMELINE/DUEL ACADEMY/8:59 PM**

"…is because of _you_?"

This was the half-finished but full-throated declaration of Jaden Yuki. Yes, it was a far cry from how he, even in times of danger, would address a person he'd need to throw down with. Part of it did had something to do with the fact that it was the person who'd single-handedly taken down two of his friends, and had sent another running scared to tell him of what he desired rather than face him himself. So yeah, not exactly a good first impression for whoever this person was.

…who was he by the way, though? Not only was this the more pressing question, but it would also end being the one the unseen Yubel would present to Jaden. _He's ready for us. And while that may be expected, this person also seems like he knows more than he's letting on. Even his stance makes me feel he's been here longer than-_

"-Rather rude of a mysterious Duel Spirit such as yourself, to not even ask the _name_ of your target of gossip."

Yubel almost turned into a statue with how harshly she jumped and froze at the mystery man recognizing her existence. Jaden was as well, though he did a better job of hiding it than his fiendish familiar.

"So you can see Duel Spirits too-well, that's pretty sweet! I'd think we could make some great friends…" at this point, Jaden caught himself in realizing _who_ he was starting to warm up to. "…well, if you hadn't spent the last couple of minutes rag-tagging them around the Academy grounds! If it's a fight you want, I'm your solution-not them!"

"I have no doubt you are-as well as the solution to a whole host of questions _no one_ in this Academy's asked!" The figure swept back his black curtain of hair-well what little of it wasn't tied behind him in a thin but long ponytail-in an almost habitual-looking gesture. "Absolutely shocking how many of this Academy's issues can trace their starting point to your arrival…or your actions."

"Right now, you're the new problem-"

"Problem **-** _solver_ , my man." The figure sighed heavily. "And since your friend is so curious, I'll fill you in on one more thing before she gets stuck like that. My name is Castano - 'Ceren' for short. And right now, what family I do this business in the name of is none of yours. I challenge you, Jaden Yuki, to a Duel-and if you lose, that HERO Neos of yours comes with me!"

"And if I win…?" Jaden asked suspiciously, still not trusting of a situation that had no discernible benefit on the other end of the scale. Even some more information would be welcome. And it seemed Ceren would give him such an option.

"You win, Jade, I'll tell you everything you need to know, hand you _my_ Deck's best monster and leave." Ceren heartily laughed at this. "A 3 for 1 special, my serendipitous Slifer. So what do you say? Only one word I need: yes or no."

"I'll happily give you _four_ , Ceren…" And with that, Jaden Yuki's Duel Disk sprang into action, the finalizing beep music to his ears. " _Get your game on!_ "

The Aspect member's far more elaborate crimson Duel Disk spread into an ammo-belt like configuration for his field. And his next words would come in just as rapidly. "If only y'knew how badly this game was about to go for you, kid…."

"…especially since _you're_ the reason the Aspect came to be!" both he and his boss said in unison, as the final Aspect soldier went to war.

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

 **HEY THERE**

 **IT BE D'SCEPTRE INC. AGAIN**

 **Don't worry, however, capslock didn't get stuck, I've just fixed up the chapter for your viewing pleasure. Next up is HEROes in the Hot Seat, and well...things are about to get cerebral for the people of the HERO Timeline. Should have an update on what to expect, but after this, you'll be treated to a slight reprieve from the rapid-fire Dueling of the present day, to take a little deep dive into the origins of one of its more...**

 **...devotion-obsessed members. Maybe help bring a bit more light to him than that knight Akiza wiped the floor of the Fortune Cup stadium with way back when.**

 **Till next chapter, folks!**


	5. HEROes in the Hot Seat

**D'Sceptre Inc. here again, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! ASPECT and Desire of the Duelist (oh but you know that, you're reading it right now!) which has more twists and turns than a Bubble Tape taste-tester in a DMV line.**

 **This chapter is brought to you both by moi and my good friend and part-time co-writer, DeviArt's AugustHenry. Give him a look-see when you can okay he's a marvel at cardmaking I swear.**

 **D'ShamelessPlugger, over and out! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **DYSTOPIA OF DESIRE/?/?**

The Aspect leader was now stationed in an unlit seven-by-seventeen-meter surveillance room. In front of her were three large circular mirrors, their magicalized glass reflecting the scenes from different Duels in progress instead of her reflections. Although the mirrors' brightness was at their lowest, their light was still enough to illuminate her face as she studied them intensely, her back to the door.

"Ugh. This room is so drab," moaned a figure she recognized immediately. Behind her stood her familiar its eyes nothing but shapes of white. "The last room was bigger and so much nicer too-I'll take it over this anyday."

"This is better for me," the Aspect leader answered without turning to face her. "The last room was too big. I didn't like the way it felt."

"What does that even mean?"

"Drafty. Cold. Lonely."

The figure took a moment before answering. "You know, you can find out a lot about a person by how they describe their accommodations."

"Are you implying that _I'm_ drafty, cold and lonely?"

"Well, not now that you've figured it out for yourself," answered the figure in a downplayed smart-aleck tone. The Aspect leader made a face at that but still didn't turn around. "I don't need all that space," she explained. "I don't _want_ it. There are too many echoes in there."

"Put some carpet down."

"There's not enough carpet in the _world_ for a room like that," the salt-and-pepper-haired girl said with growing irritation. "This is more comfortable. It's quieter and calmer. Cozier," she amended herself. "The brightness in that room hurt my eyes. There's less of it in here."

"Oh yes, _plenty_ of shade," quipped the figure. The Aspect leader had had enough. "Why haven't you left yet?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Take it easy," said the figure in a tone implying it didn't have to be in the room if it didn't want to. "I'll go. We can travel to different times if we want to, so there's no need to have a set time to leave. I was actually going to tell you I was leaving sooner, but..." The entity squinted at the monitor. "Okay, switching subjects-are all three of these going on at the same time?"

"Yes."

"No way…" the figure moved forward to get a better look, revealing a woman's silhouette. The woman then noticed a number on each monitor. From right to left, she read, "Two, three, four…"

"What're you doing?"

"I'm reading the numbers on each of the monitors. Why're they there?"

"It helps me keep track of the different timelines. The one on the right is where I'm from, and from there the middle and left ones take place in the future from the perspective of the right one."

"Okay, so… where's number one?"

The Aspect leader froze. "What?"

"Number one; these are two through four. Since there's three monitors here it'd make more sense to number them from one to three, but since you're not the type to make mistakes I figured there had to be a one."

"There's no one."

"So then you _do_ make mistakes."

"No, I _don't_ ," insisted the Aspect leader. The woman was slightly taken aback. "What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"No, not _nothing_. You're here by yourself in this drab room staring at these screens numbered from two to four telling me there isn't a one. I'd be fine with it if it were something else, but you're planning on exterminating these people. What's up with that?"

"I'm _not_ exterminating them!" insisted the Aspect leader. The woman gave her a look that told her she wasn't leaving until her question was answered. "Fine. You win, Ehris. C'mere."

The spirit moved closer as commanded. "You see these people here?" the Aspect leader indicated three boys, one in each monitor – Jaden on the right, Yusei in the middle and Yuma on the left. "The one on the left is an idiot in possession of powerful cards that can possess people. See that glowing blue-white guy next to him?"

"Yeah…"

"Well he's from another world," the Aspect leader went on as she fingered her gauntlet to bring up another screen – one showing the war between Astral and Barian World. "One that's was once at war with another world, using _Earth_ as a battlefield."

"Wow."

"I know, and what's worse is that that Astral – that's the name of the blue-white guy – doesn't even seem to care that much about the fact that this war his world's fought endangers the lives of _everyone on Earth_. And still might! And he's using an idiot who doesn't understand the potential danger of the cards he's wielding as a proxy!"

"Oh my _God._ "

"Right?" The Aspect leader then pressed a key and brought up tabs on Shark, Kite and Mizar. "These three are all connected to that Yuma kid – the one with the Number cards – and they're even _worse_ than he is. See the one with the purple shirt?"

"Yeah."

"He's Shark Kastle. Tidus claims he caused the disappearance of his friend Luna. After doing some digging, I came up empty on that lead, but I found out where Tidus got the idea; Shark's one of seven different emperors of Barian World, the world at war with Astral's world." The Aspect leader then brought up Kite and Mizar's. "These two are just as bad, according to Percy. They're rivals, but the one called Mizar is another one of the Barian Emperors, and Kite's apparently carded a load of Duelists in the Number hunts he still has yet to answer for."

"So what you're saying is, they're all a danger to Earth or in the running to be."

The Aspect leader nodded, then motioned to the screen featuring Yusei. "This one's not as bad as Yuma, but according to Evy and Save he's a whole new level of suck." She pressed a button on her gauntlet and the schematics for the Ener-D system filled the screen. "She told me that in the future he works on a system that will one day cause the _end of the world as we know it._ " She paused for a moment. "Then there's what his friends did to Save and Evy, _especially_ that red-haired Psychic girl…"

"Goodness _gracious_ , they're with _him?_ "

"Uh-huh. And I'm not even _done,_ " said the Aspect leader, pressing the button again to banish the screen before pointing to Jaden's face. " _This_ guy's the worst of them all, Ehris. You know that war you told me about? The one that forced you to abandon your home for shelter? The reason you're cooped up in this Dystopia? _He's_ the one who started it!"

Ehris's eyes narrowed at Jaden's image on the monitor before looking back at the Aspect leader. "That only explains two through four," she pointed out. "That doesn't answer my question about one."

"I told you already, there's no 'one,'" said the Aspect leader bitterly.

"Your tone says otherwise."

"There's no 'one!'" snapped the Aspect leader, startling Ehris. A second passed as the Aspect leader regained her composure.

"Sorry for snapping, it's just…they're bad people, Ehris. They present themselves to those who don't know as something otherwise – as _heroes_ – who fight the good fight for others' sakes. But there's an underside to each and every one of them that contradicts who they claim to be. Not that they're liars, mind you. Well, 'cept for Jaden; _he's_ a liar, but the other two simply don't realize the harm they'll cause."

"If that's the case, how do you know they're bad people?" asked Ehris.

The Aspect leader stared coldly into her eyes. "Evil seldom recognizes its face in the mirror," she said quietly. "That's why I need you to go to Jaden's timeline, Ehris. I need you and Ceren there to bring him down. Okay?"

"Okay," said Ehris. Then she paused. "So many fights on so many fronts, though. You could have made each realm easier to scope out if you did it one by one. Why this all-out assault?"

Had the Aspect boss not literally seen her Duel Spirit mouth the words in front of her, focused as she was on keeping on her feet from the various Duels she had paid visits to, she'd never believed that Ehris said them. "Because… well, that is a rather big oversight on my part," the salt-and-pepper-haired Duelist admitted. "Gold star! But really, it's to see how each of them fares in their own environment – overwhelming everyone won't be necessary when they take the mantles by proof of skill."

"Would make getting and keeping the mantles easier on them though." muttered the Duel Spirit.

"Wish-casting now, Ehris? Especially considering what happened to your world-"

One cursory look at her Duel Spirit's face and the boss knew she had gone too far. "-will never. EVER. Happen to another. And the second I get eyes on the Duel Monster that ruined it, I'll ruin _them_." Ehris's voice barely came across as a hiss, but her meaning was crystal clear.

"In time, friend," the Aspect boss finally focused in on the Duel occurring in Duel Academy's forest clearing. "Now, however, feel like ensuring the fall of the Supreme King?"

"That's him?"

"Still is, in all but armor."

"Fine by me." With that, she turned and left the room. As the door closed behind Ehris, the Aspect leader turned around and sighed. She got out of her chair, went to a nearby closet, took out a small box and pulled out a poster, sighing sadly at it. _Heroes aren't real,_ thought the Aspect leader bitterly as Ehris made her way to the portal. _They're all horrible people underneath – and the ones that are at least halfway decent are frauds._

As Ehris walked through the hallway, a nagging thought about the monitor numbers on her mind, the Aspect leader rolled up the poster and put it away next to a black leather tank top before taking out two things – a shoddy homemade pendant covered in gold paint, and a picture of herself with a young man next to her. The smile of the young Aspect leader in the photo was overjoyed, unable to believe who she was standing with, and her hands held up an identical pendant to the one beside her present-day self. _You're a bad liar, Akaine,_ Ehris thought, before stepping into the portal. _I could tell from your face. There is definitely_ _a_ 'one.'

* * *

 **HERO TIMELINE/DUEL ACADEMY 9:01 PM**

Jaden felt how fast his heart was beating as he faced down his opponent, Ceren. It occurred to him that in his haste he'd forgotten to ask about Chazz and Alexis. "Before we begin," he said, "I want to know where my friends are."

"They're fine," Ceren assured him. "Unlike you, I don't kill innocent people." Jaden felt a pang of guilt at that. "But they didn't do anything to you!" he retorted. "If this is about me and what I did, that I can understand. But Chazz and Alexis did nothing to you, so leave them be!"

"Epically failing to hold the line against people who would see worlds ruined for their greed and vanity is reason enough for me," answered Ceren. "Doing nothing to stop evil's advance is just as bad as advancing it. Really though, it's my fault for not taking action sooner."

"Knocking out two of my friends and using your monsters to terrorize Blair is something you wanted to do _sooner?!_ " Jaden voice hit a tempo between a shriek and a roar as his brown eyes lit up halfway in their transition to gold and green.

"That's a nice way to spin it," countered Ceren, "But keeping members of the apocalypse-threatening Shadow Riders and the Society of Light off this island should be something _every_ Duelist should be jumping to do – especially considering how ineffectual to this world they are otherwise. Dueling for fun and profit while scum use their craft to destroy lives within arm's reach? I'd laugh if that joke of a situation was just limited to this oversized dump."

"Wait…you're not just gonna stop with this Academy?" Jaden blinked in surprise.

 _"_ _Wannabe templars like him never do,"_ Yubel answered.

"Wannabe templars can still hear you," retorted Ceren as he saw Blair coming. ' _Oh yeah,'_ he realized. ' _As for her…'_

With a sinister beep, a bandolier ringed itself around his waist. Before Jaden could respond, a small metallic sphere was at Blair's feet in a flash, enveloping her in a red mist. As Jaden looked back at her, Blair's body collapsed in a heap. "Knockout gas?"

Ceren nodded. "I'm not too inclined to have it spread over here, for it's as long-lasting as it is fast-working. I can multitask for you, though, since we're on a tight schedule." He drew for the first turn. "I Summon 'Paraidux Patrol – Napalm Nathan' in Attack Mode!"

An ornately-style gunslinger with bullets to spare appeared on his side of the field **[FIRE/Warrior/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 500]**. "Next I'll activate the Continuous Spell Card 'Paraidux Patrol Raid'!" As the card itself appeared on his field, he went on, "When this card's activated, I can banish Equip Spells with different names from my Deck up to the number of cards in my hand. Then, by paying five hundred Life Points, I can Normal Summon one additional Paraidux monster whose Level is equal to or less than the number of different names amongst the cards I banished. So since I have five cards in my hand, I'll banish Paraidux Arms RK-Five Infinity Launcher, Paraidux Arms RK-Three **Gold Standard** , Paraidux Arms RK-Three **Blank Slate** and Paraidux Arms RK-Two **Silver Perforator**!"

"You said a mouthful," quipped Jaden sardonically.

"Hardy-har. Now I'll pay five hundred Life Points to Normal Summon my 'Paraidux Patrol – Thiefspotter Lana' in Defense Mode!" As Ceren pressed some buttons on his Duel Disk, the black-coated gunslinger appeared on his field in a flash of fire. (LP 4000 - 3500.) "And next I'll activate Nathan's effect! Up to twice a turn on my first Main Phase, I can banish a Paraidux card from my hand to deal you six hundred damage!" He took two cards from his hand and put them in his pocket as his monster drew its large gun. "So I'll banish _two_ Paraidux cards to deal you _twelve_ hundred with his Nitro Burst!"

As he spoke, the gunslinger pulled the trigger once, then twice. Jaden cried out in pain as the two shots physically struck his midsection **[Jaden's LP 4000 - 2800]**. Grimacing, he placed a hand over his midsection. _That_ hurt, he thought. Then it struck him. _Wait. That HURT._

 _"_ _Not as much as he hoped they would,"_ came Yubel's voice in his head. _"Remember, no one's killing you while I'm around. I've reduced the pain and the damage you would've felt by absorbing it into myself."_

 _Wow, thanks,_ Jaden replied, _But doesn't that hurt? I mean, it can't be pleasant._

To his surprise, Yubel shrugged it off. _"This is nothing to me. Compared to the brunt of the Light of Destruction and how awful that was, the pain from getting shot is like being pinched by a crab."_ On a more serious note, she added, _"But even if it_ did _mean facing that level of pain again, I'd do it again in a heartbeat if that's what it would take to keep you alive."_

Jaden said nothing, feeling awestruck as the full weight of what Yubel was implying hit him. _Thank you,_ he said again. _That's… much more than I ever would've asked of you._

 _"_ _I know,"_ said the spirit with a smile in her tone. _"Now don't worry about me. Focus on taking this man out."_

 _Will do old girl,_ Jaden promised, unaware that the spirit turned a shade of crimson at that form of address. Unfortunately for him though, his opponent wasn't done yet. "I Set one card face-down in my Field Zone and end my turn," he finished.

"Wait, _Field_ Zone?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Not at all!" retorted Jaden, "My turn! Since you're gonna make 'em real, so am I!" His eyes went bi-chromatic as he drew for his turn. _Why'd he Set a card in the Field Zone?_ he asked himself. _It doesn't make any sense._

 _"_ _It's not illegal though,"_ Yubel pointed out. _"But in any case, don't get bogged down on the why. Focus on taking advantage of his light defenses."_

 _On it,_ Jaden agreed. Adding his sixth card to his hand, he shouted out, "Let's kick things off with a bang!"

Ceren folded his arms as he watched Jaden make his move. _He has no idea of what's in store for him,_ he thought. _Then again though, neither did the others._

* * *

The portal closed behind Ehris as she ported into Ceren and Jaden's presence, only for an unseen event to take the multi-winged entity for a bigger surprise than she expected. As the scene's timeframe 'restarted' with the two crimson-coated Duelist, it twisted in front of Ehris's eyes. Needless to say, the Duel Spirit was unamused by the sudden change. _"What is this?"_

 _"_ _Not my fault."_ The echoes of the Aspect boss echoed through her head. _"Apparently, there's another spirit in the vicinity."_

 _"_ _Long black hair, business wear, next to an overly large cat?"_

 _"_ _Well…I mean they've come in all shapes and sizes, why do you-you've got eyes on them, haven't you?"_

 _"_ _I would suppose so."_ This response didn't come from Ehris this time, but from the bespectacled phantom of former Duel Academy Professor and head of Slifer Red Lyman Banner. His pet, Pharaoh, circled around him. _"And may I say I'm surprised you're able to see me."_

 _"_ _Seems your pet wishes to see more of you."_ Ehris dryly pointed out. Indeed, the cat was busy trying to swallow the golden orb that made the alchemist's soul once more. _"Wait, what?! NO Pharaoh! I'm in the middle of a conversation – and I know Jaden fed you before we left!"_

Amusing as it was to the Duel Spirit to watch the man frantically bounce around Pharaoh's paws in a vain attempt to keep his pet from cutting their confrontation short, she was not a fan of interruptions. _"Watch out then, whoever you are."_

With a flick of her wrist, a glowing golden apple flipped out of one of her many wings to roll to a stop in front of Pharaoh. The cat quickly took to chewing down on the round fruit instead of the professor's similarly-shaped soul. _"Why….thank you then. May I ask who you are?"_ the phantasmal professor asked.

 _"_ _Apparently, the new call-fielder for the Aspect,"_ snorted the spirit dismissively. _"To you however, I am the goddess Ehris."_

 _"_ _You certainly don't look like any Duel Spirit I've seen before…."_ The professor tucked his chin into his hand. _"But you've been courteous so far, it is only fair I do the same. Lyman Banner, former head of Duel Academy's Slifer Red Dorm!"_

 _"_ _Fittingly so if what I know of you is true,"_ Ehris noted. She motioned to the still-framed Jaden. _"And I take it this is your star pupil?"_

She didn't have to wait long for the response. _"Oh yes. And I think he may yet surprise your fellow traveler too…."_ Banner looked over at Ceren. _"If he_ is _your familiar, I mean…."_

Ehris gave a light smile at that. _"Hardly. He needs no help to beat anyone from your sect."_

 _"'_ _Sect' isn't the right word for the Red Dorm."_

 _"_ _You're right."_ And with a courteous sway, the apple disappeared from Pharaoh's mouth and reformed whole into Ehris's left hand again. Before Banner could muster a reply, two golden spheres appeared-one showing the Aspect member Ceren facing another two Duel Academy students, the other encapsulating Pharaoh. _"'Self-obsessed dunces' would be more fitting to them, considering how your last progeny and his girlfriend fared against Ceren."_

Banner almost saw his spectacles tumble from his nose from the surprise of the Duel Spirit's act. _"Wait no, leave Pharaoh alone!"_

 _"_ _This is so you can see just what your timeline measures up to us…"_ Ehris pointed to the rift in front of her, as Pharaoh's containing sphere floated into the same hand that once held the golden apple. _"And this…is to make sure we have no interruptions during our feature presentation."_

Helpless, Banner straightened up, gave one last somber look at Jaden, and peered into the rift that showed how Ceren's struggle against both Chazz and Alexis came to be….

* * *

 **HERO TIMELINE (FLASHBACK)/DUEL ACADEMY/8:43 PM**

 _"…'_ _cause since you've decided to take us both on, this'll be a blast for me and a whimper for you!"_ Chazz declared. _"First off, let's take advantage of your lame hand – with '_ _Armed Dragon Level Three'_ _!"_ And with a yellow flash, the large-handed dragon baby appeared to play, the only monster on the field currently despite Ceren going first. **[WIND/Dragon/Level 3/1200 ATK/900 DEF]**

In fact, the first turn he seemed eager to take had apparently been flubbed by this character by only activating the Field Spell 'Pandemonias – Inner Sanctum'. _"Take your shot then. My turn's over,"_ being the only explanation given for his otherwise open field – a field the Chazz looked to exploit. _"And now, get ready for my new_ _Level tech!_ _I equip this Armed Dragon with '_ _Level Guard'!_ _"_ A spiked shield appeared in the petit predator's hand. _"With this, your problems are about to get bigger, because this allows me to bring forth this card's older form by chaining it to this shield's power! So here comes '_ _Armed Dragon_ _Level Five'_ _!"_ And the red-and-black variant of Level Three came out to the field next to it, a band of lightning connecting it to the shield its smaller form held in hand. **[WIND/Dragon/Level 5/2400 ATK/1700 DEF]**

 _"_ _Oh and thanks to that connection, my_ _Level Three Armed Dragon gets the same Attack Points as his big brother since it's higher than his!"_ Immediately, Level Three's Attack Points doubled to twenty-four hundred to match its older counterpart. _"Think they'll be alone? Guess again, because my '_ _Foolish Burial'_ _will place '_ _Armed Dragon Level Seven'_ _in my Graveyard…_ " With a flourish, the North Academy dragon's third form was in Duel Disk limbo, to the suspicious glance of his otherwise silent partner Alexis.

 _"…_ _and at the cost of you drawing two cards, my '_ _Level Modulation'_ _will put it straight on the field!"_ Now Chazz's field held three Armed Dragons, the biggest of them being a blade-clad raring behemoth. **[WIND/Dragon/Level 7/2800 ATK/1000 DEF]**

 _"And oh look, even though Level Seven can't attack or use its abilities this turn, Level Three's Attack Points go to match Level Seven's too since it's the strongest Level monster I've got!"_

 _"_ _Wait, are you sure giving this guy more cards is a good idea?"_ Alexis asked warily. Chazz only gave a chuckle at this.

 _"Look at that idiot's field and tell me if that hand size matters! Meanwhile, I've got three monsters with over two thousand Attack Points, and even though my Level Seven can't attack now, my other two will put him out quick! Show 'em both how, Armed Dragon Level Five! Attack him directly!"_

As the spikes from the WIND Dragon barreled towards Ceren's face, Alexis tensed, hoping for a quick knockout on this mystery Duelist. But there was something wrong with…everything in this scenario. And her fears were confirmed when Ceren let a small smile slip before revealing another card in his hand.

 _"_ _A pity. Allow me to put lie to your myth with my '_ _Paraidux Patrol - Sky Smog Scorcher'_ _!"_ And with a buzzing when, the mechanical defender of the Patrol landed to take the spikes the Armed Dragon launched. **[FIRE/Machine/Level 3/100 ATK/1100 DEF]**

 _"_ _One hundred Attack Points only means your end'll be as brutish as it is short!"_ Chazz pointed out as the Smog Scorcher blew apart in the face of the Armed Dragon's assault.

 _"_ _Its first of two special abilities will dull your blades. Since I control no Set cards, all damage I take for the rest of the turn becomes the same as my monster's Attack Points – one hundred and no further."_ With that, a reflection of the mechanical beast's shield popped up in front of the crimson Duelist, before shattering into pieces when the attack dissipated.

 _"_ _You've only bought yourself a second turn!"_ Chazz pointed out. _"Armed Dragon Level Three, attack him directly!"_ After the twin attacks, however, Ceren's Life Points only stood at a barely touched thirty-eight hundred.

Alexis was all too aware of how perfectly Ceren parried Chazz's extensive play – and its implications for the future of the Duel. Considering how many cards the Armed Dragon barrage took, this combination had to be broken. But she'd have to wait until the magic four words came from Chazz's arrogant mouth: _"Fine, then, I end my turn."_ Okay, more than four.

 _"_ _Before your turn truly ends, allow me to show your how your friend's future fury'll fare!"_ Ceren tapped a button on his Duel Disk. _"Because since my Sky Smog Scorcher was destroyed by battle, I can return it to my hand by revealing three Equip Spells in my hand, and I shall do so now so you know what will end you both by my turn!"_

As Alexis took careful notice of the cards he revealed, something else started playing on her mind. _Those Paraidux Arms need an effect to equip,_ she thought. _How's he going to do it if he's mainly got those three cards and the Scorcher?_

 _"_ _Alright, Ceren, really?"_ asked Alexis. _"That's a turn you'll regret having come if that's all you've got to stop me. I'll kick this Duel off the right way…"_

* * *

"…with the Field Spell Parallel World!" Jaden announced. With that, a glowing, twisting grid of neon lights and crystal-like rivers pumped throughout the open space of the pier, a testament to Jaden's newfound power with Yubel. "With that in hand, I Summon Elemental HERO Wildheart!" The tribal hero pulled forth, titanic sword at the ready. **[EARTH/Warrior/Level 4/1600 ATK/1500 DEF]** "And thanks to Parallel World, none of my Elemental HEROes will ever fly solo, because his arrival lets me bring out an Elemental HERO Normal Monster with the same or lower Level – like the 'Elemental HERO Avian'!" **[WIND/Warrior/Level 3/1000 ATK/1000 DEF]**

"One more thing, Ceren: Since I activated Parallel World this turn, I can banish both monsters right now to Fusion Summon without using 'Polymerization'!" Jaden placed the two monsters in his Graveyard slot, then raised his free hand up high. "So I'll fuse Elemental Heroes Wildheart and Avian to Fusion Summon my ' _Elemental Hero Wild Wingman'_!" Jaden exclaimed loudly as the swirling vortex of blue and orange finally brought up the tattoo-coated winged Fusion Monster to bear against the Dueling arms master. **[EARTH/Fusion/Warrior/Level 8/1900 ATK/2300 DEF]** "Lastly, I'll Set two cards face-down," Jaden concluded, as two Set cards shimmered to life in front of him. "Now tell me how I'm the reason for you being here!"

 _"_ _And also, who the rest of 'you' are!"_ Yubel added in a hiss, her wings flaring behind him.

Ceren just chuckled. "Goodness, Jaden, don't you remember?" he quipped. "What immediately did you just come off of and brave-face your way through? What event just happened on these very Academy grounds? And what were we _just_ talking about before my first turn?"

Jaden fell silent. "That's right," continued Ceren. "And all of it caused by a rogue Duel Spirit shot off into space where she went mad from the isolation…" His smirk dropped. "…and the one who put her there."

"But that's…"

"…a mistake. Like the Light of Destruction being attracted to your place because of Aster Phoenix. Who'd he immediately start fights with again?" His mouth was turning into a gate of gritted teeth. "And let's not even get into how you and yours failed to keep the Sacred Keys out of the hands of your own scheming staff."

"Hold on," Jaden interrupted him. "First off, I was about to say that I sent Yubel into space because I thought the cosmic rays of justice from Neo Space could fix her!"

"You realize how bonkers that sounds, right?" Ceren scoffed as he drew for his next turn. "I only wish the professor you hooked to your soul as a reward for endangering your school was the worst thing you've done. If I despise _anything_ more than the trouble you've caused, it's how you attach the root of those problems to you like an albatross whistle."

"That's not my fault! You can't hold me responsible for the choices those people made!" Jaden protested. "You can hold me responsible for what happened in the other dimensions all you want. That's fair because that was _my_ fault. Everything that happened earlier this year was because of me. But you _can't_ fault me for the Shadow Riders or the Society of Light! The Shadow Riders all made the choice to follow Kagemaru down and attack Duel Academy!"

"And the Light of Destruction?"

"Same thing. It may not be human, but it's… it's…" Jaden struggled to come up with the word. "Well, it can make decisions too, and it chose to come here for its mission!"

"But why did it have to be _here_ specifically?" Ceren asked. "Why did it _have_ to be Duel Academy?" Not waiting for Jaden's reply, he answered himself. "Because _you_ – the only person who could contend against it – were here. It came here because of _you_. Whether you like it or not you're the reason bizarre forces came here and tried to take over the world. So while you may be full of light and smiles, the _truth_ of the matter is that you're a danger to _everyone_ around you, and you destroy everything you touch!"

Quickly, he drew a card for his turn. "I activate Thiefspotter Lana's effect! Once a turn on my Standby Phase, I can equip her with a Paraidux Equip Spell from my Banished Zone! And I'll equip her with 'Paraidux Arms RK-Two Silver Perforator'!" As the large blaster appeared in his monster's grasp, Ceren took another card from his hand and played it. "Next, I'll Summon 'Paraidux Patrol – General Robina' in Attack Mode!" As the armor-clad Warrior-Type monster appeared on his field **[FIRE/Warrior/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 200]** , Ceren continued his cascade. "And now her effect activates! When she's Summoned, I can equip her with a Paraidux Equip Spell from my banished zone! And I'll equip her with _'_ Paraidux _Arms RK-Five Infinity Launcher'_!"

The massive gun appeared in General Robina's hands, causing her to grunt lightly as she adjusted herself to carry its weight. "This card takes being banished by the Raid to equip, but it's worth every pound, because it grants the equipped monster two thousand Attack and Defense Points," explained Ceren. "And it also protects it from card effects that target _and_ from having its effects negated! So essentially there's little you can do to my General Robina with battle _or_ without!" (General Robina's ATK 1600 - 3600; DEF 200 - 2200.)

"I'm not done yet," he went on. "Next I activate Paraidux Patrol Raid's next effect! I can shuffle it into my Deck to Tribute one Paraidux monster I control, and if so, Special Summon a Paraidux monster with a different Type from my hand or Graveyard! So I'll Tribute my Napalm Nathan to Special Summon 'Paraidux Patrol – Bombtrack Dragon' from my hand in Defense Mode!"

A gargantuan draconic machine appeared on his field, crossing its arms to stare down the Slifer Duelist. **[FIRE/Machine/Level 5/ATK 1400/DEF 2800]**. Not wanting to give Jaden any time to register its immense size, Ceren thrust his hand forward. "Now, General Robina, waste his Wild Wingman!"

"Forget it!" Jaden shot back. "I activate my Trap, Hero Barrier!" A swirling portal-like vortex of energy appeared between the two monsters, absorbing Robina's attack and leaving Jaden's Wingman unscathed.

Ceren narrowed his eyes. "Is getting rid of you going to take _all day_?" he asked.

Jaden narrowed his own eyes back at him. "Getting rid of me," he replied, "Will take you your entire _life_."

"Not with Silver Perforator's effect it won't," Ceren retorted. "Since the monster it's equipped to didn't attack this turn, I can toss a coin: If its heads, I destroy one card on the field, and if it's tails, I get to deal you five hundred damage for each monster on the field with higher Attack Points than the equipped monster! And since Lana only has eight hundred Attack Points, that means there are _three_ monsters on the field that are stronger than her, such as my General Robina and Bombtrack Dragon, as well as _your_ Wild Wingman!"

Jaden grimaced. _So essentially I'll be one step closer to losing no matter what the coin's result is._ Seeing his grimace, Ceren grinned as he took a coin from his pocket and tossed it. The coin landed in the palm of his other hand, which he slapped on his throwing hand and removed it to see the result. "Tails," he said with apparent satisfaction in his voice. "Now say goodbye to fifteen hundred Life Points, courtesy of my Thiefspotter!"

Jaden braced himself as Thiefspotter Lana raised her gun and shot him with a blast of energy. Staggering back a bit from the impact, he held his midsection gingerly, grateful for Yubel absorbing most of the pain as his Life Points crept down to 1300. "Lucky for you, that ends my turn," finished Ceren at last.

"Good! Because it's my turn now!" Jaden announced as he drew for his turn, doing his best to ignore what remained of the pain in his midsection. To Ceren's chagrin, he saw a smile spread across Jaden's face. "I activate the 'Spellbook Inside the Pot'!" Jaden announced. "I can only activate this when I draw it for my Draw Phase, so how lucky am I?" Seeing Ceren's sour expression, he decided not to wait. " _Anyway,_ because I'm so nice, both of us get to draw a card thanks to this card's effect!"

As both players drew, Jaden continued, "There's more! Until my second End Phase after this card's activation, we both get to draw two cards instead of one for our Draw Phases! The only drawback to this is that I don't get to add any cards from my Deck to my hand by card effects the turn I activate this card, but it's worth it if you ask me!"

"That makes _one_ of us then," responded Ceren. "Because now I get to activate the effect of 'Paraidux Patrol – Aylia the Suppressor' from my hand! Since she was added to my hand by your Spell, I can banish an Equip Spell Card from my Deck, and if so, banish her from my hand! So I'll banish my 'Paraidux Arms RK-Four All-Out Artillery', then Aylia the Suppressor!"

"What was the point of that?"

"Simple: on my next Standby Phase if she's still banished after being banished by this effect, I can Special Summon her, equip her with a Paraidux Equip Spell from my banished zone, and switch the original Attack and Defense Points of a monster on the field!"

 _He'll probably go for Bombtrack Dragon's stats, then_ , Jaden thought. "Not like you'll get to!" he said out loud. "I activate the Spell Card 'Fake Hero'! This lets me Special Summon an Elemental Hero from my hand! And the Elemental Hero I'm calling out is one of my newer ones, the dazzling 'Elemental HERO Titantron'!"

The golden-yellow woman appeared on his field **[WIND/Warrior/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 800]**. "And guess what? When she's Special Summoned, Titantron lets me Special Summon a Level Three, Five or Seven "Hero" monster from my Deck. Normally I'd have to banish it on my End Phase, but since I still control Wild Wingman, this Hero's good to go!" Jaden took a card from his Deck and played it. "And the Hero I'm talking about is everyone's favorite golden gladiator, _'Elemental HERO Bladedge'_!"

As the monster he described appeared on his field **[EARTH/Warrior/Level 7/2600 ATK/1800 DEF]** _,_ Jaden took another card from his hand. A small compartment on his Duel Disk opened up, enabling him to insert it. "And I've got more in store because I'm activating the Field Spell, 'Skyscraper'!"

As the compartment closed, holographic buildings sprouted around both players. "Skyscraper gives any attacking Elemental HERO one thousand Attack Points if its Attack Points are lower than those of the opponent's monster it's attacking," Jaden explained. "So with this boost in hand, Bladedge, attack General Robina!"

"What?! That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" said Ceren. "You'll only end up destroying them both!"

"I _know_ ," answered Jaden with a devilish look on his face as the two monsters exploded on contact. "Because now I can activate my _other_ Trap, **HERO's Second Signal**! If a card I control is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can send a Hero Spell or Trap Card from my hand or Deck to the Graveyard to Special Summon a Level Four or lower HERO monster with a different Attack Power than those on my field and in my Graveyard! So I'll call out my 'Elemental HERO Blazeman'!" As the pyrokinetic warrior emerged on his field **[FIRE/Warrior/Level 4/ATK 1200/DEF 1800]** , Jaden continued. "And after I Special Summon my monster, I get to Set a Polymerization from my Deck!"

Ceren watched Jaden execute his move, gritting his teeth. _I didn't think he'd use a card like that proactively,_ he thought. _Cards like that are meant to be used on the defense, but he's using it like a Quick-Play Spell._ His brow furrowed further. _I can't predict this guy._ _Doesn't matter though._ "I activate the effect of Infinity Launcher! When it's sent to the Graveyard, I shuffle it into the Deck!"

"Fine with me!" Jaden answered back. "Wild Wingman, attack Thiefspotter Lana!"

Ceren checked his face-down card in the hopes there was something he could do to save his monster. There wasn't; as Wild Wingman struck her, Thiefspotter Lana exploded into a fireball. "I'm not done by the way," Jaden went on. "I activate Wild Wingman's effect. By discarding a card from my hand – such as my Elemental HERO Necroshade – I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field! So whatever your face-down card is, it's history!"

Ceren swore as his face-down 'Preliminary Pandemonias Patrol' fracturee into pieces. "Okay," said Jaden, knowing full well his tone would irritate his opponent, " _Now,_ I'm done."

"About time," grunted Ceren as he drew for his turn. "First off on my Standby Phase, Aylia the Suppressor comes back from my Banished Zone!" As she appeared on his field, her Gatling gun swinging in as wide an arc as her smile, **[Warrior-Type/FIRE/Level 6/ATK 900/DEF 2600]** , Ceren took a card from his pocket and showed it to Jaden. "And I'll equip her with Paraidux Arms RK-Three Gold Standard! Thanks to this card, Aylia can't be destroyed by battle, and any Battle Damage I would take from her battles is dealt to you instead!"

 _"_ _Hmph. Copycat,"_ muttered Yubel to herself and her charge.

"And don't forget," added Ceren, undeterred by the fiendish familiar's snide remark, "Aylia's effect switches the Attack and Defense Points of a monster on the field-in this case, I'll choose Aylia herself! Next, I'll Summon 'Paraidux Patrol – Dual Anarchy' in Attack Mode!"

Two young women – one blonde, the other dark-haired with pink streaks threading it – emerged onto his field, glowing with yellow light **[FIRE/Warrior/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1600]**. "What you're seeing is their effect activating," Ceren explained. "And it's poetry in motion. When Dual Anarchy's Summoned, I can excavate the top two cards of my Deck, and equip them with any Paraidux Equip Spells excavated this way." He took the top two cards of his Deck into his hand. "And what luck, because I've excavated Paraidux Arms 'RK-One Bronze Hound' and 'RK-Two Salvation and Perdition'!"

As he spoke, the two Equip Spells manifested over Dual Anarchy and latched on to them, Salvation/Perdition hooking to the blonde and Bronze Hound. "Furthermore, Bronze Hound gives Dual Anarchy four hundred Attack and Defense Points, so now Dual Anarchy's Attack Points are at two thousand! And just so you know, it also makes them unaffected by Trap effects during the Battle Phase!" He pointed to Jaden's Fusion Monster. "Now Dual Anarchy, destroy Wild Wingman!"

The two women in front of him raised their weapons and struck down the winged warrior, shattering it to pieces **[Jaden's LP 1300 - 1200]**. "And I'm not done!" gloated Ceren, not wanting to give Jaden time to recover. "Aylia, shatter that Titantron!"

Jaden grimaced as the golden girl broke apart, Life Points now at a critical 200 from the charge. "Alright then, that ends my turn," finished Ceren.

 _Dammit,_ Jaden groaned, _Not only am I already in the red, but Ceren hasn't even taken any damage yet. The only loss of points he's taken is from Patrol Raid early on. But then again,_ he added, _It's not entirely hopeless. Now I know how his Deck operates. He's only Set one card this entire Duel, and when I got rid of it he didn't play any others. That means he's riding on his Equip Spells to carry him through the Duel, and from what I gather he can't just equip them regularly. Most of the time he's equipped them with his monsters' effects, so all I have to do is negate them and he won't be able to equip anything._

He looked at his Deck. _But that's not what I need right_ now, _though. Right now I just need a monster that can hold off his attacks. But the only ones coming to mind that are strong enough are Fusion Monsters._ Then he thought of his friends. _No matter what though, I have to draw. Chazz and Alexis depend on it!_ He inhaled, exhaled, then drew his two cards for that turn…

...and promptly scrunched up his face like a Picasso painting. _Card Blocker and Mystical Space Typhoon?! These can't help me now!_ Then he saw the other card in his hand. _Wait though, this card and Card Blocker… okay. These two should be fine for now._ "First, I Summon Card Blocker in Defense Mode." As the tiny cartoonish warrior appeared on his field **[EARTH/Warrior/Level 3/ATK 400/DEF 400]** , Jaden took two other cards from his hand. "Next I'll throw down a face-down and activate 'Mystical Space Typhoon' to destroy your 'Salvation and Perdition'. That should end my turn."

Ceren's eyes widened at two-thirds of Dual Anarchy's arsenal shattering out of existence before his eyes-then grew a grin at the note of Jaden's turn ending.

"You activate a card that gives you a bonus draw and _this_ is all you come up with? Your drawing skill's running dry." He drew for his turn and pointed at Jaden's newest Warrior. "Dual Anarchy, rid the field of his Card Blocker!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Jaden countered. "Card Blocker's special ability activates! When he's attacked, I can send the top three cards of my Deck to the Graveyard to give him five hundred Defense Points for each sent card!" He placed three cards on the top of his Deck into his Graveyard slot (Card Blocker's DEF 400 - 1900).

"That won't help you," said Ceren as Dual Anarchy cut through Card Blocker in spite of Jaden's effort, "Dual Anarchy's Attack Power's still higher, so that whole move of yours was pointless!" He pointed to Jaden's remaining monster. "Now, Aylia-smoke Blazeman!"

"Blazeman's goin' nowhere!" Jaden countered. "I activate the Trap, 'Hero Ring **'**!"

To Ceren's astonishment, a circle of light appeared around Blazeman's person, intercepting Aylia's attack and leaving its occupant unharmed. "You see," Jaden explained, "I can equip this card to a Warrior-Type monster I control with fifteen hundred or less Attack Points, and it keeps monsters with nineteen hundred or more Attack Points from attacking it." He saw Ceren's slightly annoyed expression. "I _was_ hoping to combo this with Card Blocker, but as long as Blazeman's here to stay, I got no complaints."

"Well, regardless of your stunt," Ceren went on, "Nothing will change. For my second Main Phase, I'll sacrifice my Dual Anarchy and Bombtrack Dragon to Summon 'Paraidux Patrol – Thronekeeper' in Defense Mode!"

A tremendous shadow loomed over the field as a colossal metal guardian appeared on Ceren's field **[FIRE/Machine/Level 7/ATK 2050/DEF 2550]**. Ceren was all too happy to talk it up. "Here's something you might want to know: While I've got Thronekeeper on the field, all Machine-Type Paraidux Patrol monsters I control can attack while in Defense Mode, and use Thronekeeper's Defense Points for damage calculation!

Next, since it's my End Phase, Bombtrack Dragon's effect activates! Since it was sent from my Monster Zone to the Graveyard this turn, I can Special Summon one Paraidux Patrol monster from my Graveyard, so long as its a Warrior, and equip it with this card! Return to active duty, General Robina!"

The familiar blonde appeared on Ceren's field, saddling herself atop Bombtrack Dragon as it roared at Jaden. "And there's more! I activate General Robina's Quick Effect! By banishing one card that's equipped to her, I can shuffle one Spell or Trap Card on the field into the Deck! I'll get rid of that sorry little farce you call a defense." Jaden clenched his jaw as the protective Hero Ring around Blazeman disappeared. "With that, I end my turn," said Ceren at last.

Jaden looked at his Deck nervously. _This is my last turn benefitting off of Spellbook. Please Deck, make it count!_ "My draw!" he announced bravely, taking the top two cards of his Deck into his hand… and frowned. "I'll throw down two face-downs," Jaden said as an obscured card appeared in both his monster and Spell/Trap Zone. "That's all for me."

"What a pity. Soon that'll really be _all_ from you," said Ceren, a tad smug at his advantage as he drew. "I'll take the helm. General Robina, attack his face-down monster!"

Jaden's heart skipped a beat. Hope! "Reveal, Elemental HERO Clayman!"

"What?!" came the surprised response as the energy blast fired from Robina's blasters ricocheted off of Jaden's juggernaut and struck her in the midsection **[Ceren's LP 3200 - 2800]**. "Whatever," he said dismissively, brushing it aside. "Thronekeeper, finish the job!"

Jaden smiled gratefully as Clayman left the field. _Thanks, Clayman. I thought this would be the end for me, but thankfully this guy's arrogance got the better of him. I'll be sure to make my next turn count._

"Alright," said Ceren, disappointed at not being able to end it. "I end my turn. Not like it matters though. You hardly have anything that can threaten me."

"Oh, don't say that," Jaden replied. "I've got _one_ thing."

"Curious. And that is?"

"Hope."

A pause. Then Ceren snorted with laughter at something so cheesy. Then he saw Jaden's stony glare. "You can't be serious."

"I am."

Ceren looked at Jaden, incredulously amused. "Alright then, take your turn. Let's see how well your hope holds."

"With pleasure." Jaden drew for his turn. "Well, _whaddaya_ know!" He showed Ceren the card he'd drawn. " _Told_ you I had hope."

Ignoring Ceren's groan, Jaden slipped the card into the slot. "In fact, it's the Spell Card 'Fifth Hope'! This card shuffles five Elemental Heroes from my Graveyard into my Deck! So I'll shuffle the Clayman, Avian, Bladedge, Wildheart, and Titantron from my Graveyard, then draw 2 new cards!" He did just that. "Next I'll banish Fifth Hope from my Graveyard to Special Summon 'Spell Striker' in Attack Mode!"

Another cartoonish warrior appeared on his field, this one waving a wand furiously in front of its helmeted face. **[EARTH/Warrior/Level 3/ATK 600/DEF 200]**. "And next I'll _Normal_ Summon my 'Armor Breaker' in Attack Mode!" Just like that, a third cartoonish warrior, wielding a giant hammer, sprang up next to Spell Striker **[EARTH/Warrior/Level 3/ATK 800/DEF 800]**. "Then I activate Armor Breaker's special ability to equip him to Spell Striker," Jaden went on. "And I'll have my Striker attack directly!"

Ceren didn't even blink as Spell Striker swiped at him **[LP 2800 - 2200]**. "That's not all!" Jaden continued, "Now Armor Breaker's effect activates! When the monster he's equipped to deals you Battle Damage, his effect destroys one card on the field! So say goodbye to Aylia the Suppressor!"

"What?!" Ceren's shock betrayed his stony face as his strongest monster shattered to pieces.

"That's all for now," concluded Jaden. "Your turn."

"Fine!" Ceren drew for his turn… then smiled. "Remember this card?" he asked. "I activate 'Paraidux Patrol Raid'!" Seeing Jaden's reaction, he went on, "...to banish five more Paraidux Equip Spells from my Deck-one for each card in my hand! Then I'll have General Robina attack your Spell Striker!"

To his surprise, Jaden didn't even grimace, not even when Robina's shot threw up a cloud of dust. _That's weird,_ thought Ceren, _My attack destroyed his monster and depleted his Life Points, so why wasn't he afraid?_ Then it hit him. _Wait, don't tell me…_

His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Jaden's Spell Striker still on the field and his Life Point gauge unchanged. "What's going on?" he demanded. "How're you still standing? Do your monsters have effects?"

"They do," Jaden answered. "First is my Armor Breaker. If the monster he's equipped to would be destroyed by battle, Armor Breaker takes the hit for it."

"That explains why your Striker's still on the field. But what about your Life Points?"

"That's courtesy of Spell Striker," Jaden continued. "His effect prevents me from taking any damage from his battles."

"Nngghhh," grunted Ceren. "That won't save you-or your Striker-for long! Thronekeeper, attack with your **Crowning Glory** **Blast**!"

He felt a small twinge of satisfaction as Thronekeeper's cannons shot at Jaden's lone monster and finally wiped it off the field. "Don't think I'm done yet!" Ceren went on. "Next I'll once again shuffle Paraidux Patrol Raid into my Deck to Tribute both General Robina and my Thronekeeper so that I can Special Summon 'Paraidux Patrol – Bayone the Perfect Shot', from my Extra Deck!"

Jaden looked on in confusion and surprise as a tall gun-wielding woman with blue armor and red hair emerged onto Ceren's field in a chorus of lights and sound **[FIRE/Warrior/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 0]**. "And this will end the Duel quick-for when Bayone's Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one Paraidux Patrol monster from my Deck, but in exchange, she can't attack this turn!" Ceren beamed as he took a card from his Deck and smiled at it. "And for _you_ , Yuki, I've decided to take you down with the very same monster that won me my last Duel!" Slamming the card into his Monster Zone, he bellowed "BEHOLD, MY ' _SIX PACK DRAGON'_ _!_ "

Jaden had no words to describe the fifteen-foot draconic machine monster that dropped from the sky from a glint of light that both he and Yubel thought was a star-until the shine of its shoulder-mounted revolver cannons became visible. Even as the dust coming from its landing, the beast rose and roared at Jaden loud enough to cause even _Yubel_ to cover her ears. Then, every one of its cannons aimed directly at Jaden, ready to destroy him without so much as a second thought upon its master's say-so. **[FIRE/Machine/Level 6/ATK 2500/DEF 3000]**

"So this is it _,_ " mused Jaden, swallowing his saliva as he looked the beast up and down. "This is the monster that beat Chazz and Alexis in one turn."

"Indeed it is," Ceren confirmed proudly. "Your friends tried their best, but ultimately there was nothing they could do to stop this behemoth you see before you." He paused for a moment, a nostalgic look on his face. "Here's how it happened, in case you were wondering if you had a…"

* * *

 _"…_ _way to beat you and your Scorcher!"_ Alexis proclaimed. _"First, I'll use my Summoned '_ _Cyber Petit Angel',_ _to add my '_ _Machine Angel Ritual'_ _from my Deck to my hand!"_ Thankfully, the bionic ball monster was in Defense Mode, as its small size caused it to peek over errantly at the three LV monsters at the other end of the Dueling field. **[LIGHT/Fairy/Level 2/300 ATK/200 DEF]**.

Ceren quirked an eyebrow at this. _"Now I have to deal with Rituals?"_

 _"_ _Oh don't you worry, they're not your problem yet."_ Alexis then flashed out another Spell Card. _"Now it's time for the magic of '_ _Pre-Preparation of Rites'_ _! After all, being able to pull out a Ritual Monster and the Ritual Spell its name is printed on will do wonders for my '_ _Machine Angel Virtuose Ritual'_ _and my '_ _Cyber Angel Dakini'_ _!"_

Two cards richer in the Duel, Alexis steeled herself. She knew her opponent would likely have something planned the second she mounted an attack, and so, she'd need insurance for what he'd likely throw back at him. Thankfully, her more reckless partner did leave one good thing for her to use. _"Next, I activate '_ _Level Gauntlet!'_ _to bolster my field."_

A giant pauldron slammed its way onto the field behind the shocked Petit Angel, in direct contrast to Chazz's far more quietly conjured Level Spell that Armed Dragon Level Three was still posing with.

Turning back to Ceren, Alexis went on, _"And finally, my activated '_ _Ascending Soul'_ _Continuous Spell should give me enough fortification before I Ritual Summon my Cyber Angel Dakini with Machine Angel Ritual, using the Cyber Petit Angel on my field and the '_ _Cyber Angel Benten'_ _in my hand as Tributes!"_

With the two Cyber Fairies disappearing into the flames of the Machine Angel Altar, a six-armed cyborg burst from the pyre, triad of weapons at the ready **[LIGHT/Fairy/Ritual/Level 8/2700 ATK/2400 DEF]**. " _Thanks to both Ascending Soul and Cyber Angel Benten, not only do I get to return Benten from my Graveyard to my hand, but I can also add another Fairy monster from my Deck to my hand since Benten was Tributed, like my Level Four '_ _Cyber Seamstress'_ _!"_ Alexis's hand stood at four cards, to Ceren's continued curiosity.

 _"Now Cyber Angel Dakini, let's see if_ you've _got better luck against Ceren's empty field!"_

The twin blades of Dakini swung toward the derringer-wielding duelist, but Ceren was ready for it. _"Crystal ball says no-and so does my Sky Smog Scorcher!"_ And back came the monster, ready and prepared to take the Ritual monster's hit… only for Dakini to stop dead still, shocking Ceren and keeping the indignant Chazz's ranting from breaking through the din.

Though in the latter's case, the phantasmal Ojama Trio popping up near him got him back in a swiping frenzy. For Ceren though, there was…

 _"'_ _Machine Angel Virtuose Ritual', GO!"_ Another Spell flashed up before the halted Cyber Angel, but this time, a far more mechanical altar showed up behind Alexis. _"What gives now?"_ Ceren asked.

 _"_ _Your Scorcher, for starters!"_ Alexis triumphantly smiled. _"This Ritual's main demand is that it be used during the Battle Phase, but ot allows me to Ritual Summon a Cyber Ritual Monster from my hand by Tributing a monster you control and one from my hand or field! So with your Sky Smog Scorcher and my Cyber Seamstress in the hand both going into ancient history…"_

Both monsters turned into a column of light, which converged on Alexis's field, but did not drown out her final shout. _"…here's the one who penned their fate, '_ _Cyber Scribe Level Six'_ _!"_

A warrior in white-red robes and holding a gigantic book burst from the luminous column **[LIGHT/Fairy/Ritual/Level 6/2300 ATK/1300 DEF]**. _"And the pain's only getting worse, because_ _not only will my Tributed Cyber Seamstress add another Machine Angel Ritual from my Deck and the Cyber Petit Angel in my Graveyard to my hand, but my Level Gauntlet activates its special ability! Since I've brought out Cyber Scribe Level Six, this card lets me play its previous form from my Deck to join the party with five hundred more Attack and Defense Points – 'Cyber Scribe Level Four'!"_

This time, the book-wielding Ritual made way for its lesser processor, one whose book almost obscured her from the Aspect member's view. **[LIGHT/Fairy/Ritual/Level 4/1800-2300 ATK/800-1300 DEF]**. _"Now, both of my Scribes'll take it to you directly – and thanks to the final ability of my Machine Angel Virtuoso Ritual, the damage from each of their direct attacks becomes one thousand – no more and definitely no less! Strike Ceren with your Lore Blaze and Lore Fireball!"_

Both barrages left Ceren gasping for air, the field surrounded by blue and orange sparks **[Ceren's LP 3800 - 1800]**. Wearily struggling to his feet, the Aspect member looked at his situation-one made all the bleaker by the Obelisk Duelist's dictation – and visibly paled. _"And thanks to your Scorcher hitting the Graveyard by something other than battle, I'm assuming you're not getting it back by its special ability, right?"_

 _"…_ _no,"_ came the hiss from Ceren's lips.

 _"_ _Then I think this turn is over. And thanks to Cyber Angel Dakini, during the End Phase, I can conserve even more by returning the Machine Angel Ritual in my Graveyard back to my hand!"_

Ceren could hardly believe it. His Obelisk foe had three Ritual Monsters, four cards in the hand, two Spells/Traps on the field and a barely touched four thousand.

 _"_ _Plus, thanks to my Level Gauntlet!, each of our LV monsters' effects can be activated as fast and often as a Trap Card, so I'll take on Cyber Scribe Level Four's effect to gain five hundred more Life Points."_

Okay, her Life Points were at forty-five hundred now. Things needed to change for Ceren – and thankfully, Chazz's foolhardy destruction of the Sky Smog Scorcher had afforded him that way out quickly. One Ceren would need if he hoped to get past the barrage of LV monsters and Dakini now staring him down. And not a single one of the monsters' Attack Points was below twenty-three hundred. What Ceren drew in his turn, however, turned things around for him.

 _"_ _I tip my hat to you Alexis, but I'm afraid I have bad news. My first retrieval of the Sky Smog Scorcher could have been done by revealing two Equip Spells, but by revealing three, I can add one Machine-Type Paraidux_ _monster from my Deck to my hand!"_ Ceren took another card from his Deck and added it to his hefty hand. _"Now I activate Paraidux Patrol Raid!"_

And with a rush, Ceren pulled out six Equip Spells – Paraidux Arms RK-2 Silver Perforator, Partycrashers, and Last Dragonbreath, RK-3 Gold Standard and Salvation & Perdition, and RK-5 Infinity Launcher- and launched them into the air.

 _"_ _Wait, what-?!"_ Chazz had finally trapped Ojama Green between his hands, Yellow and Black futilely trying to free the laughing Duel Spirit, before he noticed Ceren's dramatic gesture.

Ceren paid him no mind. _"And since I now have five or more banished Paraidux Spells-congratulations for successfully pissing me off enough to make this next move a masterpiece! It's high time I gave you both my true double gun salute! Arise, SIX PACK DRAGON!"_

An ear-splitting _CRACK_ of lightning split in from of Ceren, and the six cards he had thrown into the air turned into balls of energy. Each of them found their home in half of the slots within two six-chamber revolver barrels that crashed into the ground, before arching to meet the light column. Their shrieks of metal caused both Chazz and Alexis to slam hands on their ears – and their six monsters between them to slam fists into the ground to keep from being blown off in the sharp winds.

In an abrupt snap, the light dissipated to reveal the chrome armor of a gigantic dragon, raising its head to meet both its opponents – and yet, Ceren's stare was steelier than the beast in front of him.

Alexis was the first to recover. Then she gave a small smile. _"Don't worry; my Cyber Scribe Level Four will be all too happy to give me five hundred more Life Points to bear against that monster!"_ And now her Life Points stood at an even five thousand.

 _"_ _I'm really unconcerned with_ _how high your defenses are-I've got enough ammo to knock them down,"_ Ceren said.

 _"_ _Well, would you be concerned with the special ability of Cyber Scribe Level Six? Because when my Life Points change in either direction, it lets me put an end to another card on the field-like that over-sized bag of bolts you've so effortlessly Summoned!"_

Cyber Scribe Level Six took aim at the sky with her large book opened to midway. _"_ _Six Pack, meet the_ _ **Scribe Smiter**_ _!"_

A bolt erupted from the open tome, curled in the air and rocketed toward the Gatling giant. But as it crashed upon its form, Ceren's smile actually seemed to get wider – before it was obscured by the dust cloud that the Scribe Smiter blast kicked up.

Chazz folded his arms. _"HA! Easy come, easy go right? Now if you're done scooping the eggs off your face, how about you start begging for mercy from the rumble of Chazz…"_

The words died on his lips, as did Alexis's planned rebuttal of Chazz's planned play on his own name… mainly due to the shock of seeing Six Pack Dragon. Not only was it utterly unharmed by the Ritual Monster's furious assault, but it was now adorned with two gigantic golden guns in place of its original holstered cannons – and it had one thousand more Attack Points to boot. _"Mind telling me what happened?!"_ Alexis shouted.

 _"_ _Think I went to all that effort for something this vulnerable to your shoddy tricks?_ _That targeted strike of yours only allowed my Six Pack Dragon to load up with the Partycrashers I just removed from my Deck_ _– which_ _gives it a thousand more Attack Points!"_ **[Six Pack Dragon/ 2500 - 3500 ATK/2000 – 2500 DEF].**

 _"_ _Targeted assault, huh? Well, I think I've had enough of seeing that dragon. I'll rid it with one of my own!"_

 _"_ _Wait, Chazz, no! I don't think it's just the targeting is what caused-"_

 _"The s_ _econd a Duelist tells you what they are, believe 'em!"_ Chazz proclaimed. _"And don't worry Alexis, I'm doing this to get past that mistake I clearly made earlier with Level Modulation!"_ Turning to Ceren, he continued. _"I activate my strongest Armed Dragon's effect immediately, thanks to Alexis's Level Gauntlet! Now, by dropping a monster from my hand, I can destroy all monsters you've got with Attack Points equal to or less than its Attack Points! And since your monster's at thirty-five hundred points, here's a monster with equal Attack Points to put it down-the '_ _Ultimate Obedient Fiend'_ _!"_

The departure of the Level Ten Fiend signaled Chazz's barrage, and despite the shouts of a shocked Alexis, Armed Dragon Level Seven shot off a flurry of its blades at the mechanical beast, causing another explosion. When the smoke cleared this time, Alexis sank to her knees, while Chazz took a step back in disbelief. Before them stood, once again, the unmarked Fire Machine monster – and worse yet, it now held another weapon in its hands like it was the Jaws of Life.

 _"_ _How perceptive of_ one _of you."_ Ceren pulled one of his arms behind his back and smiled. _"Because now the last piece of my plan is in place. That's the Infinity Launcher you now see on my monster, and with two thousand extra Attack and Defense Points to boot, I'm very sure I can put it to good use!"_

Six Pack Dragon gave off another grating roar at Ceren's triumphant words, while Alexis and Chazz gaped in amazement as its Attack Points rose to a whopping fifty-five hundred.

 _"_ _I…I…"_ Chazz tried to put up a brave front, but it was failing in the face of a well-stocked wyvern like the Six Pack Dragon – especially one that was that way now because of his futile strike. _"…No monster's supposed to be like that! Who are you?!"_

The Aspect member snorted. _"Sorry, only make that kind of small talk with my equals. And_ Yuki's _not here yet."_

Before Chazz could snap back, the Six Pack Dragon stepped forward. _"Six Pack, your first hit is on the Armed Dragon Level Three! Fire at will with your_ _ **Supreme Electron Silencer**_ _! And thanks to your innate ability, that Armed Dragon will lose three hundred Attack and Defense Points for each face-up Spell I control!"_

Three barrels focused on the still-posing Armed Dragon Level Three, still posing and still at twenty-eight hundred – but the shock of its Attack Points being forcibly being dropped to nineteen hundred, from the stray sparks coming off the Dragon, brought it back to attention. When it noticed the charging points of light from the Fire Machine monster, it tried to bring its shield to bear against the barrage. Unfortunately, the shield didn't even get down over its head before the blasters tore the little dragon to shreds, and put Chazz's Life Points in a similar fashion, chopping it down to four hundred.

Chazz tried to struggle to his feet, but the pain of the impact was doing its number on him. Unfortunately, a shining glint in the air looked to ruin his day further. _"Oh, and yeah, I've heard of those Level Spells. And I'm aware of their drawbacks too. I believe that your Armed Dragon Level Five owes its existence to that little Guard of yours, correct?"_

 _"_ _W...what of it?" Chazz spluttered._

 _"_ _Well, since its wielder is gone, so is the monster it Summoned, Level Five-and I believe it comes with a…"_

 _"_ _Five hundred Life Point penalty for each lost monster…"_ Alexis trailed off.

 _"_ _Clever girl…"_

That statement did not come from Ceren, but the finger gunshot off in Chazz's direction as the defunct Level Guard! crashed into him and shattered did.

Life Points fully depleted for Chazz, Ceren turned to his Obelisk-affiliated friend. Alexis had made her way back to her feet, but her eyes were wildly switching between each of her monsters.

Then something struck her.

 _"_ _Wait a second! Did you say your FIRST hit was to Chazz's monster? Meaning that thing can attack more times?!"_

 _"_ _Oh yes, Alexis-this can make a second attack on a Special Summoned monster each Battle Phase, thanks to the Partycrashers."_

Ceren's tone suddenly turned somber. _"And really – I feel like I've been fighting one and a half Duelists. But goodness, what a one! I'm actually rather impressed with your perception of all ends of this duel, even if fruitless on Chazz's end."_

 _"_ _Um… thanks…"_ Alexis stuttered.

 _"…_ _No, thank you. For giving me more stuff to talk of with Jaden later, for actually being a threat in this Duel…and for keeping the monster that destroyed my Sky Smog Scorcher on the field."_

 _"_ _Wait, what?!"_

 _"_ _Open fire, Six Pack."_

And with a flurry of plasma, Alexis's Cyber Scribe Level Six was literally lost in the lights. But past the whine of the lasers the Ritual Monster was caught in, Alexis managed to get out some words of her own.

 _"Your dragon's not the only one that can take a hit – my Cyber Scribe Level Six can survive one battle it normally wouldn't each turn!"_

 _"_ _If only its power and your Life Points were as hardy, Alexis!"_ And once again, the lightning aura wrapping around the Cyber Scribe dropped its twenty-three hundred Attack Points to fourteen hundred. In addition, it also put Alexis's Life Points at nine hundred – and her into a backward tumble.

Thankfully, her field was intact. But Ceren was not finished with her. _"I end my turn, and you as well. My profound apologies."_

 _"_ _I've still….got nine hundred…Life Points,"_ hissed Alexis, pulling herself to her feet and holding her side.

 _"_ _And Six Pack's final effect, Double Tap, will siphon them off. Since I equipped an Equip Spell to it with its effect this turn, it inflicts one thousand extra points of damage to you at the End Phase."_

Alexis could only stare blankly as Six Pack Dragon issued a blast of fire – this time, from its gaping maw – directly at her.

The illumination from the explosion – and the direction Ceren's head took to avoid the cloud of dust from that explosion – brought another girl to his attention. She was hiding in a tree, with long purple hair. And Ceren, judging by her scramble after Alexis's Life Points hit zero, was likely about to blow his cover improperly. Thankfully, Six Pack Dragon was a bit more than the average monster, and so he pointed at the tree.

 _"_ _Need a bit more power then, Ehris. Six Pack, knock our guest from the tree and only that. I don't feel up to scraping her off the floor – After this Duel, Ra knows I'm done…"_

* * *

"...with my feature presentation."

Banner watched as the rift closed in front of him before turning around to face its emitter, Ehris. _"It's not just you two, is it?"_ Banner asked, his calmness in spite of what he'd just witnessed taking Ehris by surprise.

 _"What do you mean?"_ she asked.

 _"_ _I mean, someone like you who can open up rifts in time and that boy down there with the Paraidux Patrol cards capable of materializing his monsters. Something just tells me there's more where you two came from."_

 _"_ _Very astute of you, Banner,"_ said Ehris, idly looking at her clenching fist. _"But I'm not telling you a thing."_

 _"_ _Well in my experience, if someone says something like that they usually_ are _working with someone else. So if I had to guess, I'd say you're part of a larger organization dead-set on getting rid of Jaden. Then there's the fact that you're here with me right now; you can't be a mere foot soldier as your abilities and the fact you're refraining from engaging anyone in combat suggests you're one of the higher-ups."_

Ehris's eyes widened at Banner's surmising. _"That's very impressive,"_ she admitted, _"But I know things about you too, Professor Banner. Oh wait, sorry, how rude of me. Amnael."_ Banner froze. _"That's right. My group and I know everything there is about the time you tried to unlock the Sacred Beasts. I have to say, I'm_ surprised _; to think that someone as laid-back and under the radar as you would actually be part of something so nefarious."_

Banner just floated there. _"What do you want from me?"_

 _"_ _Oh, nothing from_ you. _But I_ would _like you to not interfere with Ceren's Duel. It'd be a shame if anything happened,"_ she added, with a hint of a threat towards Pharaoh. But to her surprise, Banner just smiled. _"No need to worry on that front,"_ he said, _"I don't intend on interfering."_

 _"_ _Oh? And why's that?"_

 _"_ _Because of who you're pitting yourselves against. Jaden Yuki is one of the finest students to ever come through this Academy. While it's true I played a part in the Sacred Beasts being unsealed, I also made sure someone would be able to stand against them. He is that someone. If you know of me, you must also know of Kagemaru. Jaden defeated not only him, but the vessel containing the Light of Destruction the following year. In fact, he's directly responsible for defeating most of the threats facing Duel Academy."_

 _"_ _That's odd,"_ countered Ehris, _"Because from what I heard, he was_ also _responsible for what befell this Academy earlier this year."_

Banner tensed up. _"Did he ever tell you about it?"_ asked Ehris. _"The look on your face makes me think the answer's at least a maybe."_

Banner paused for a moment, looking out at the redcoat. _"We all have our demons,"_ he said knowingly.

 _"_ _Are you_ seriously _giving me that as an excuse?"_ asked Ehris with a laugh in her voice. _"Because what Jaden did goes far beyond simply being troubled. And if he survives his Duel, he'll be taken to one such result of his reign of terror,_ personally _."_

 _"_ _I understand full well that Jaden did something awful,"_ said Banner. _"He's become more secretive ever since he came back from the other dimension, and he's less talkative now than he ever was before. But I believe that my student is not only back in his right mind, but that his heart's also back in the right place. Whoever he was in the other dimension, he left it all back there and moved on. So rest assured, Miss Ehris, that I won't interfere with this Duel. Because Jaden doesn't need me to."_

Ehris narrowed her eyes at Banner. _That optimism of his is annoying,_ she thought. _But no matter. His tune will change when Ceren prevails. So much of this world and the worlds beyond will._ With nothing else to do, she and Banner resumed watching Ceren's latest Duel now finally freed of the time-halting spell Ehris had emitted.

* * *

 _Aw man,_ thought Jaden, _I haven't gotten any solid good draws in the last three turns. And this guy's just been hammering away at whatever I Summon. Plus he's now got the two toughest monsters of his Deck – at least I hope they are – out on the field._ He looked at his Deck and gulped. _Here goes…something!_

 _"_ _Wait,"_ came Yubel's voice. _"You don't know anything about his monsters. Ask so he doesn't have anything to surprise you with."_

 _Good idea,_ Jaden agreed. "Before I start my turn," he said out loud, "I'd like to know what your monsters' effects are."

"Sure thing," said Ceren. "You've probably found out everything you need to know about my Six Pack Dragon from Blair's scout report, but Bayonne allows me to equip Paraidux Equip Spells from my hand to monsters I control regardless of their equipping conditions, and is also unaffected by the effects of monsters with twenty-five hundred or less Attack Points."

 _So his Equip Spells_ couldn't _be equipped regularly before. I was right!_ thought Jaden. _But knowing that won't help me now. I need to Summon something that's powerful enough to take on both Bayonne the Perfect Shot_ and _his Six Pack Dragon without being vulnerable to their effects._ He glanced at Six Pack Dragon. _But if I were to fuse, his Six Pack Dragon would just take me out right there and then as soon as it attacked. That,_ and _it would only get more powerful as Ceren would only equip more cards or it to use against me._ He looked at his Deck. _All this thinking isn't helping. If I don't draw something, I'll never get anywhere._

"Here goes...something!" he announced boldly as he drew for his turn… and frowned for the third time in a row. _Dammit! This card can't help me either. Even if I Summoned something with it, Ceren would just finish me off with… wait, hold on; maybe there_ is _something I can do here!_

"I activate 'The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh'! This card lets me add a furry friend of mine from my Deck to my hand, so I'll go right ahead and add my 'Winged Kuriboh'!" He added it and shuffled. "Next I'll Set a monster and end my turn."

"That was… anticlimactic," said Ceren, drawing for his own turn. "Guess ensuring the thrill in this Duel's up to me. I'll equip Bayonne the Perfect Shot with 'Paraidux Arms RK-Four Ember Missile Pack' from my hand! And it's aimed at anything you conjure up from here on out-because when a Spell Card would be activated or a monster with higher Attack Points than the equipped monster would be Special Summoned, I can banish this card to neutralize them. Just in case you were thinking about activating that 'Polymerization' on your next turn," he added with a smirk before pointing to Jaden's Set monster. "Now Six Pack Dragon, attack his Set monster!"

Upon his order, the giant mechanical beast opened fire, incinerating Jaden's only line of defense. "Before you do anything else," Jaden interrupted, "Winged Kuriboh's effect activates! Since it was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, all Battle Damage I take this turn goes to zero!"

"Son of a…" muttered Ceren, before cutting himself off and gesturing to Jaden. "I end my turn. You're up."

"Sure thing," said Jaden. He took a breath and drew. " _Finally!_ " he exclaimed at the top of his lungs. With a look at Ceren, he played what he hand. "I activate the Spell Card called 'A Forbidden Tactic'! It only works when I have 2 or less cards on the field, and allows me to reveal a Level 7 or lower monster in my hand with 2000 or more ATK, like my Elemental HERO Neos, to draw 1 card for every thousand Defense Points it has! Unless of course, your Ember Missile Pack has any objections?"

"Not right now," said Ceren, "You're at the end of your rope, so there's not much you can do."

"How courteous. I draw two, thanks to Neos' two thousand Defense Points…" Jaden checked the two cards he'd just added. He looked at them, then to Ceren, then grinned. "…and now I'll activate the Spell Card 'Monster Reborn', to bring back the Thronekeeper from your Graveyard!"

Ceren weighed his options: His Six Pack Dragon could protect itself from destruction twice per turn and would deal Jaden damage if he so much as attacked with a Special Summoned monster. But then again, Jaden had other cards in his hand, and if even one worked with the Thronekeeper was Summoning…

"Forget it!" the derringer-wielding Duelist interrupted. "I activate Ember Missile Pack's effect to banish it to negate and destroy Monster Reborn!"

"That's fine with me!" retorted Jaden, "Because now it's time for what I was planning for all along!"

"Wait, what?!"

"That's right! I figured you'd negate Monster Reborn! I mean, who _wouldn't?_ So now I'll activate my face-down card…!" He pointed dramatically at it as it flipped up. ' _Polymerization'!_ "

Ceren jaw dropped. _He outplayed me?!_

Jaden would not be deterred by his opponent's shock. "This'll let me fuse my Elemental Heroes Neos and Sparkman to create my newest Hero! I Fusion Summon the ' _Elemental HERO Nebulos'_ _!_ "

As he said all this, Neos and Sparkman appeared, twisting and coalescing into a shining star which projected out an armored version of Neos. This entity, clad in silver armor and with jagged jade blades ejecting from his arms, touched down upon Jaden's field. **[Warrior/Fusion/LIGHT/Level 9/ATK 3000/DEF 2500]**. "And next," Jaden continued, "I activate Nebulos's sweet special ability! I can Tribute this bad boy to Special Summon one Neos Fusion Monster from my Fusion Deck! So I'll Tribute Nebulos to call out my 'Elemental HERO Air Neos'!"

Ceren clenched his jaw as one of Jaden's Neos Fusion Monsters flashed away and begat another, this one wearing sharpened crimson armor and sprouting wide-spanning wings. **[Warrior/Fusion/WIND/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2000]**. "And here's a nifty trick courtesy of Air Neos! Since my Life Points are lower than yours, he gains Attack Points equal to the difference!"

"Oh no, that's two thousand points!" muttered Ceren as Jaden's winged warrior glowed with green light **[ATK 2500 - 4500]**.

"You're right, it is! And I aim to use all of 'em right now!" Jaden took his last card from his hand and played it. "But before I do, I want to make sure nothing can get in the way of stopping your Dragon and saving my friends, so I equip 'Rainbow Veil' to my Air Neos! When the monster this card's equipped to battles an opponent's monster, while that monster's on the field its effects are negated on the Battle Phase!" Jaden pointed to Ceren's powerhouse. "Now Air Neos, take down Six Pack Dragon!"

Ceren could do nothing but stand there in silent fury as Jaden's monster bore down on his. _All of my Dragon's mighty powers, negated! And all by that stupid Rainbow Veil card!_ With a single punch, Air Neos burst through the mighty Machine monster's shattered Ceren's best monster to pieces (Ceren's LP 2200 - 200; Air Neos's ATK 4500 - 2500). "My turn's not over yet," Jaden went on. "Next I'll banish my Hero's Second Signal from my Graveyard and gain Life Points equal to Air Neos's Attack Points." Placing the card in his pocket, he spread his arms wide and basked in the sparkles that showered down upon him (LP 200 - 2700). "Alright then," said Jaden at last, "That ends my turn. Thankfully Nebulos has another effect that protects my Air Neos from returning to the Fusion Deck by card effects."

Ceren shook unceasingly, utterly beside himself with rage. _Unbelievable! No one's ever defeated Six Pack Dragon! That card's my pride and joy, and he beat it in a matter of seconds like it was nothing!_

Then the thought occurred to him. _I need to Summon Bertha. Curse the waiting, s_ he'll _put this guy in his place!_ He checked his hand. _I have everything I need to bring her out, too!_

"Jaden Yuki!" he called out to Jaden. "It's time for you to experience a power like none you've ever seen before!"

Jaden tensed. _What kind of power is he talking about now?_

Ceren drew his card for that turn. "First I'll Summon Paraidux Patrol – Inspector Lili in Attack Mode!" As he finished speaking, a long-haired woman in a reddish-brown trenchcoat appeared on his field **[FIRE/Warrior/ Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000]**. "And then I'll Set four cards face-down!" he announced as the backs of four cards appeared between him and his monsters.

"And now I'll combine my Level Four Inspector Lili with my four face-down cards!"

 _What?!_ Jaden's didn't say, as his eyes widened. "What's going on?! What are you doing?!" he did say.

"Summoning a kind of monster that you're among the lucky few to witness!" Ceren bellowed, raising his free hand to the sky as Inspector Lili's body ignited and shot up into the air in a brilliant tongue of orange light. As Jaden watched in a mix of confusion and suspense, the tongue split into two parallel lines. Jaden wondered what these were until he saw Ceren's four face-down cards glow bright green and shoot up into the air in similarly brilliant green tongues, which stretched themselves between the two parallels, revealing the two of them to be helices. The four Spell Cards formed four rung-like lines between the two helices, which then twisted around the connecting rungs, forming what looked like a strand of genes guiding the gazes of everyone present up into the sky where a bright white tunnel opened up. The strands of light entered the tunnel and straightened out.

"It's all over for you now, Yuki!" boomed Ceren, projecting his voice above the clamor. "This is the birth of a brand-new breed of monster! Bear witness to my new dame of destruction! I ADVENT SUMMON ' _PARAIDUX PATROL - BERTHA THE BALLISTIC'_ _!_ "

 _Advent Summon?!_ Jaden could barely hear his mind ring in his mind as the wind grew to a deafening howl, and the light intensified to nearly blind him. Shielding his eyes with his arm, Jaden glimpsed into the tunnel as a humanoid-shaped mass of chrome appeared in its light and began to pull itself from the gateway...

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Percy Shaddeus Prologue: Gold Standard

**D'Sceptre Inc. here, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! ASPECT and Desire of the Duelist, both of which coming at you with more twists and turns than a Candyland game being played on a merry-go-round.**

 **We're gonna be taking a deep dive into one of the ASPECT's main characters here. Fair warning, this chapter's made for the non-Dystopia-centered events to be read top-to bottom, while the Dystopia-entering moment onwards-starting at the end of this chapter-is meant to be read bottom-to-top. Cool? Cool. Don't worry, it'll be great, the context helps with the final scene so much.**

 **ANNNND AWAY WE GO WITH GOLD STANDARD!**

* * *

 **NUMBER TIMELINE/HEARTLAND CITY/3 DAYS BEFORE JOINING THE ASPECT, HAND OF MIDAS CHARITY BUILDING**

"This Duel'll be over in a flash! And considering who's come along to watch, there'll be plenty!"

Devon Knox's eyebrows lifted at the claim of the youth before him, Percy Shaddeus. "Perhaps," he answered airily to both musings. "But you'll need all you've got to get my fans on your side, _and you'll need more than what you've got to survive my monsters' broadside!_ "

Devon then took another triumphant look at the field between them-a Number 59: Crooked Cook was busy shooting his flame jets to either side of the field, and Devon had 2400 Life Points to his name. Percy, however, had only 400 Life Points, 'Havenn the Harpsichord', and a thick curtain of sweat. This was due to a failed attempt to use Radiant Mirror Force on the FIRE Warrior when it attacked his other Xyz in 'Artifact Durendal'.

That tactic that had fallen short of targets as Devon triggered his Cook's special ability to chew through his other three monsters for a nine-hundred point boost that guaranteed the demise of his weapon-like Fairy Xyz. It also allowed his two destroyed 'Centauraffes' to replace themselves with 'Coach Soldier Wolfbark' and 'Coach Captain Bearman'. Only the Beast-Warriors being in Defense Position had saved Percy from further pain. **[Centauraffe/FIRE/Beast-Warrior/Level 2/0 ATK/0 DEF] [Coach Soldier Wolfbark/FIRE/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/1600 ATK/1200 DEF] [Coach Captain Bearman/FIRE/Beast-Warrior/Level 8/2600 ATK/2700 DEF]**

Devon had workarounds, though. After all, while he'd never miss out on workouts to present to his fans…

…like the ones crowded in front the HAND OF MIDAS arch between the stone wall and the towering Victorian mini-castle it framed…

…it was beginning to look a lot like _cheat day_.

"This one's for all of you who came to see how Devon 'Knox' the socks off his foes!" Hitting a switch on his D-Pad, the celebrity called out once more. "It's time for the ability of the 'Centauraffe' in my Graveyard to shine! Since there are three of them there now, I can banish one to Special Summon another to my field, make every monster I control Level Eight, and bring out an Xyz Monster on the spot! Go, Overlay Network, and get the lead out for…."

With a vicious flash, the three Beast-Warriors turned into red ribbons of light, swam into the nebula nearly touched by the Hand of Midas building, and bathed the field in blinding white.

"…the Rank Eight 'Coach King Giantrainer'!"

Wielding two batons as long as the building to the two duelists' sides was tall, the Rank Eight FIRE monster stormed out, its very footprints nearly causing tremors in the crowded courtyard. However, the vibrations were almost matched in ferocity from the squeals and shouts of the fans-there to see Devon Knox's premiere Dueling prowess in action. **[FIRE/Warrior/Xyz/Rank 8/2800 ATK/2000 DEF]**

Percy whistled in admiration. "Sure does look like it'll pack a punch, yeah?"

"Of course, man!" Devon proclaimed. "A pity it'll have to be on an Xyz so captivating as Havenn, though."

"I think so too! How about we change that up, then?" Percy revealed of the last two remaining cards in his hand. "My last Set card is 'DNA Surgery', to turn every monster on this field into a Fairy, followed up with the special ability of my 'Type Rioter' in my Graveyard! With its departure and every monster on the field being of the same Type or Attribute-there being three or more-the Phase being conducted ends on the spot!" A Level Three Fairy immediately sprang to the field, stared down the incoming Giantrainer, and with a curl of its sidearm rippled out a sound-barrier-breaking echo that flashed the duel forward, with Giantrainer back at proper stance like nothing had happened. The Type-Rioter vanished too. **[LIGHT/Fairy/Level 2/150 ATK/1500 DEF]**

Attack halted, Devon gave a grin. "And wouldn't you know, my fast and furious Battle Phase means that I can't follow up with Giantrainer's effect this turn! Guess it's up to you to make the next one count!"

"Guess it is…" Percy warily looked at his Deck, drew once, and finally gave a triumphant grin. "Guess I'm gonna have to send these people home hungry….for a new top celebrity! First, I call on Havenn's special ability, and detach a material to turn YOUR Fairy-merged Giantrainer into another Fairy Xyz-in this case, the Rank Five 'Tiras, Keeper of Genesis'!" The all-too-familiar starry sky lit up again with the plasma-turned skylight that was once Devon's chief Xyz Monster, a column of light lost among the stars. A powerful creature with shining bright wings took the place of the Beast-Warrior Xyz, and stood ready against Havenn. **[LIGHT/Fairy/Xyz/Rank 5/2600 ATK/1700 DEF]**

Devon stuttered. "W-what?! But I know about what Tiras is-you could have turned your Havenn into that, destroyed my Cook and used Tiras' effect to take down Giantrainer! Why this?"

"Oh, that Cook's going down regardless." Percy's smile only grew. "But powerful as that would have been, that wouldn't have ended the Duel this turn. You'd still have 2100 Life Points and a Tireless Centauraffe in the Graveyard to repeat the Summon of your Xyz and end me."

Percy's smile dropped like quicksilver. "And this new Fairy you have is LIGHT-which means I have my opening to take you down in flames _right now_! I switch my Havenn the Harpsichord to Attack Mode, and Normal Summon the 'Power Angel Valkyria'!" Another flash and the purple-haired Fairy was at the ready, javelin gripped tightly in its right hand and shield casting a vicious glare on the Crooked Cook, who stopped its simmering dish to cover its eyes. **[LIGHT/Fairy/Level 4/1800 ATK/1050 DEF]**

"And finally, I activate the Spell, 'Leeching the Light'! Since you've got a LIGHT monster on the field, every monster I control gains its ATK-a whopping twenty-six hundred!" With the activation of the Normal Spell, Havenn and the Valkyria raised their weapons and prepared to drain the radiance from the LIGHT Xyz.

Devon would have none of it though. "Good luck triggering that with no LIGHT target! I activate my Crooked Cook's ability, removing an Overlay Unit to destroy that Tiras and give the Cook three hundred more Attack Points!" And with a wink, Number 59 turned its flame jets to the ground and surrounded itself and its fellow Xyz in a field of flames, causing the crowd to shield their eyes as it had done a moment ago.

When the flames cleared, however, Tiras still stood-and its light was being sapped from its very wings while the Power Angel and Havenn cried out in overcharged overtures. **[Havenn's ATK: 1500-3100]** **[Power Angel Valkyria's ATK: 1800-4400]**

Then Devon realized what Percy was _truly_ aiming to do.

"Oh no…."

"You said it yourself, Devon. You know all about what Tiras is-including its inability to be _destroyed_ while it's got Overlay Units." Percy looked wistfully at the still-intact Fairy Xyz, and his two super-powered Fairies. "Now Havenn, take down that Number with your Havenn's Wrath attack!" One charge of the phantasmal steed that guided Havenn later, and Number 59 was dust in their wake, Devon's Life Points knocked down to a waning 1600.

"And now Power Angel, finish this-strike down Tiras with your **Power Angel Pike**!" Valkyria took to the air, shelved her shield at her back, extended one of her arms with her thumb and index out to align her shot…and fired a beam of light from her long-arm into the chest of the Keeper of Genesis.

Its explosion destroyed the LIGHT Xyz-and the eighteen hundred points of damage Devon took destroyed his hopes of winning the exhibition Duel, as his Life Points sank to 0.

Still coughing from the wake Valkyria's assault left on the courtyard, Devon's left hand waved to disperse of the dust-only for Percy to grab his wrist a second later. With the pregnant pause of their gathered crowd, Devon could only watch as Percy thrust up his hand and let the baying cries of the crowd show Devon that he had not been passed up as a celebrity this day.

Turning back to stroll back into the Hand of Midas HQ, Devon stopped Percy this time. "Hey, guess you were right back there. Most of the time I had that Number in the training we had before this, all I could think about was seeing the opponent burn. Then you show up and…"

Percy shook his head. "Father Maeda said I've got that influence on the chaotic. Think it's hokum, but you kept it together out there. Happy to help out with that Duel…and I can only hope my finals to get into the Heartland elite go so swimmingly."

"Yeah…and speaking of _fathers_ …." Noticing the darker look that crossed Percy's face-one that had nothing to do with the shadow the building had cast over half of it-Devon pressed on. "I won't push, but…your state of mind with your actual one's mellowed out, right? That was….part of the reason I agreed to pop over her-"

Percy stopped him with another hand-this one held out between them, fingers stock-straight. "Don't, I know you don't do pity Duels. But…yeah, he seems to be weaned off the anger he had at everyone at his jo…He's changed, for the better, and being away from his restaurant's done wonders. I don't hold it against any of them now, though. Life's too short to be a _zealot_."

The LIGHT Duelist turned to look up at the building, the rotting foundation of the spires and peeling paint around the windows now his focus.

"And my life, between trying to keep this place from falling apart and trying to catch up with those legends from Spartan City….it's been a trip."

"Like the one you took when you heard Heartland snapped those two up." Devon's look softened. "Sure you don't want the guys in here? My last photoshoot was in one just like your hall, fifteen million likes on the net in the first hour of filming!"

"Heh!" Percy gave a short chuckle." A figure stepped out from the main doors to the House of Midas, his face a weather-worn but grinning façade that outshone the building above him in terms of raw strength.

"Goodness me, one would think better than to talk of someone who's not there-who knows how long till they _actually_ aren't!" A boisterous chuckle accompanied Father Maeda's words.

Percy returned the happiness with a toothy grin of his own, and then turned to the crowd that now stood with bated breath.

"Speak of him, there he is right now! Hey, who here wants to see the man behind the legend?"

And the fans crowded in, Devon following them in with a, "...I guess your charity's about to get a new windfall…"

* * *

 **DYSTOPIA OF DESIRE/?/?  
**  
"...and I really hope the fall doesn't knock the wind from you too much!"

Percy didn't understand what she meant by that until he and Ehris were descending to the pitted stone floor of the Dystopia. "Where is this?" he asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry," said the spirit, her voice now sounding much like his own. "I know it's not the most beautiful spot, but… this is my home." She frowned sadly. "Or rather, what's left of it. So believe me; I know your pain. Everyone here does."

Percy nodded in realization. "Okay, now… where is everyone else?"

"You'll meet them first thing when we land," the spirit said, right before their feet touched the ground. "We're here," she announced, and beckoned him toward the entrance. Percy followed her inside.

As used to elaborate architecture as he was, the Dueling deacon couldn't help but be impressed by the architecture of the place. It was almost like the cathedral he'd spent the majority of his life in, _right down to how half of it still looked like a war zone_. Percy's opinion would stay to himself. As standoffish as he felt, he could tell this woman was making a concerted effort to try and welcome him, and he didn't want to spit in the face of her newfound hospitality.

She snapped herself to attention. "Anyway, it's time to meet the people I work with. Akaine, Ceren!" she called into the throne room, causing an echo. "He's here!"

"Coming!" replied two voices. Within moments, two youths – a boy and a girl – emerged from separate chambers. The girl had salt-and-pepper hair while the boy's hair was a standard brownish-black. "Hello, nice to meet you," said the girl, taking Percy's hand in her own and shaking it. "I'm Akaine Yubin, and this is my brother Ceren. Please just let me say, first thing, how incredibly sorry we are for your loss."

Percy was pleasantly surprised at how courteous this girl was. All the same, he was curious. "How do you know that?" he asked, somewhat warily.

"We're looking for people to help us with an important mission," said Ceren. "And we asked Ehris to find us people who'd be perfect for it. You fit the bill, and you just happened to be going through something, honest." "We don't mean any harm or disrespect," said Akaine. "Far from it. When we saw your Duel against that woman – Dextra, was it? – I thought, 'Him. He's perfect. He's motivated, he's got a strong will, and he understands what it's like to be wronged.' That, and you're a skilled Duelist, too."

"Come," said Ceren. "If you want, we can sit down somewhere and have a drink. Want to?"

"Ah, no thanks," said Percy, as politely as he could. "I'm fine standing."

"All right, that's fine," said Akaine. "All the same, there's a room we want to show you if that's alright." She turned on her heel and led them down a hallway into an antechamber. "Ehris, would you do the honors?"

"Absolutely," said Ehris, snapping her fingers. A large mirror-like monitor then appeared out of thin air. It began to glow, showing a chipper-faced kid beside a glowing blue-white being. "Do you know who these two are, Percy?" asked Ceren.

"Not the blue guy-but the kid looks familiar if Devon's talk of him was true..."

"They are. That's Yuma Tsukumo," explained Akaine. "And the glowing person is Astral, from a faraway place called Astral World."

"Um… okay…"

"In case you're wondering," said Ceren more seriously, "The reason you should care is that Yuma's actually connected to Kite Tenjo."

Percy scowled at Yuma's image. " _Is_ he now?"

Oh yes," said Akaine. "And it's all because of Astral. You see Percy, Astral's home Astral World was at war with another world – one called Barian World. These two worlds fought what we would describe as a cold war, where they confronted each other indirectly using Earth as a battleground. And the instruments used to wage this war…" she pulled up an image of Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord. "…are the Numbers."

Percy's eyes widened. "What do they want the Numbers for?"

"Dominance," explained Ceren. "Both sides wanted to collect all one hundred Number cards in order to achieve superiority over the other. The problem we have with this is that not only did they use Earth as a battleground, but they also involved people from Earth in their war. Yuma Tsukumo is one such person. We believe he was recruited by Astral to help him acquire all the Number cards."

"So essentially Astral is directly responsible for much of the harm that's befallen Heartland City as a result," Akaine elaborated. "All the Number cards, Percy? He's the one they come from."

"I'm sure you can piece together what this means," said Ceren.

Percy took out Number 78 and looked between it and Astral's image. "How's Kite involved?"

"Only as a Number Hunter," answered Akaine. "His Photon Hand is part of his Photon Transformation – something that enables him to resist corruption by the Numbers, which is how he's able to hunt them."

"And for some reason, taking people's souls too," added Ehris. "Though the jury's out on why he'd want to do that."

"Hold on," said Percy. "You've got something wrong here. You're saying the Numbers are a _bad_ thing?"

"Don't you see all the harm they've caused?" asked Akaine. Percy shook his head.

"I see the harm people who have them have caused." He cast a narrow-eyed look at Ehris. "And if _someone_ hadn't interfered, there would've been one less problem to deal with."

"Oh, so true," Ehris countered, turning Percy's remark back on him. "But hunting Kite for Astral's war that Yuma's joined in is missing the forest for the trees, if you take my meaning."

Akaine gestured to Ehris. "Maybe it's time you should know what Astral wants the Numbers for. Ehris, if you please?"

"Certainly," replied the goddess, moving her hands around. The images of Yuma and Astral shrunk and receded to the upper part of the monitor, replaced on the lower half by an image of a broken card, its glowing pieces swirling around each other. "This Percy, is the Numeron Code," said Ceren, "A code powerful enough to do anything its wielder wants once they've assembled all one hundred Number Cards – even rewrite reality as we know it."

"Almighty…"

"Oh, it's close," agreed Akaine. "So imagine if someone had this code. They could do what Kite did to your people on an insane scale. Suffice to say, nobody should have that kind of power."

"And one of the reasons we asked Ehris to bring you here was that we hoped you'd want to help us make sure nobody ever gets their hands on power like that," added Ceren. "Well, that's _one_ of our goals, at least."

"What other goals do you have?"

Akaine's expression turned serious. She nodded to Ehris again, who dissipated the image of the Numeron Code. "Before, we told you about Yuma Tsukumo and how he's helping Astral acquire all the Numbers," she said. "But stopping him's only one part of it. Seems our shared histories have a cruel habit of repeating-especially in putting pretender legends in large crises they only prevail in through luck and recklessness."

"One of them's Jaden Yuki-from a time long before yours, one my sister and I share." Ceren spread his arms. "And that soul-slaughtering charity case's kinda the reason this group began-or rather, why this Dystopia is here."

"Heady accusation for someone who's not here to defend themselves." Percy then saw Ehris's expression had turned to ashen stone. "Ehris...don't tell me..."

"He put me here, to begin with?" she explained. "Unfortunately...yes. My home with the other deities was...rather eye-catching. Then the Supreme King's little... _wretched_ servant...popped up and turned it into dust. I've been looking for that she-fiend ever since."

Percy's mouth went agape. " _One being_ did all this to your castle?!"

"Twelve other dimensions were set for the same, till servant and master turned on each other. The ex-King crashed back to Earth, but I haven't seen his servant yet." Ehris went on. "Not like the brat she served would know either; the next day he was off at that accursed academy none the wiser!"

"Gracious, what's _wrong_ with that guy?"

"We're far past the time to play counselor," answered Ceren. "And speaking of that, we'll tell you about Mr. I Am Become Death, Yusei Fudo, later. The point is, Kite's on the fast road to becoming another Supreme King, and well...you're who we've set eyes on to stop him and his friends. We're looking for you-and people like you-to help us with this important mission."

"So how would we stop Kite and Jaden, then? Hypothetically?" asked Percy.

"Oh, _you_ don't have to do anything against Jaden," said Akaine. "Your concern is Tsukumo and Astral. We're telling you this so that you know the full story. We want you to trust us Percy, but to do that we have to make sure you think we're trustworthy. Are we?" she added shyly, after a brief pause.

Ceren took the lead. "You don't have to decide right away," he said. "If you're still grieving, that's fine. Window to your time's still open, and we can have Ehris send you back. Fair warning though...there may not be another chance for us to meet with you for a while. Tidus says his window opened when the Barians touched down-for all we know, it might be too late then."

"We're _fine_ with waiting, though." Akaine graciously clasped her hands together. "I'm not here to take advantage of the grieving, no matter the state of the world. Above all else, we want to make sure you're in your right mind before making a decision."

Percy nodded his understanding. "I appreciate that." A beat. "What do you guys call yourselves anyway? Does your group have a name?"

"Err, not yet," Akaine admitted sheepishly. "Honestly, we've been so busy recruiting people we haven't had time to come up with one."

"We'll probably just end up combining our initials anyway," said Ceren. "We don't want to agonize over coming up with something that perfectly encapsulates what we stand for. There's no time for that."

Percy chuckled for the first time. "I gotcha." As he saw the Yubins return his smile, he felt much better. Even now, it seemed someone watched over him, _sought him out_ to keep him from the abyss, and even promised him a part in a greater cause than he could ever fathom. "So then...why not strike now? Surely, the crisis these peoples' presence provide demands swift justice?"

"Well, there's a bit more than that," said Akaine. "History believes that these three are all good people-with the cliques to match. Even at your time, you've seen the issues it took just to get to Kite, and Yuma's even worse. People deserve to have heroes who're exactly as they say they are-and someone willing to seize the powers they have rather than hang on them like a crutch. The fact that, say, Tsukumo needs Astral to Duel with him in order to win Duels makes him a mark _and_ a fraud all in one, not some legendary Duelist."

She looked down for a brief moment, during which Percy saw a sad look on her face. "That's the problem with most of these so-called 'heroes,' Percy: They're either terrible people deep down, or fakes who need someone to do their work and fix their problems."

As Ceren reached down and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, Percy observed the two. _It's amazing how much I agree with them,_ he thought. _They're absolutely right. People_ do _deserve better than false heroes. Heartland deserves better. My Hand of Midas family...my father...they deserve better than Astral and Yuma...and Kite,_ he added bitterly.

Again, Akaine offered her hand to the Dueling deacon. "So, offer's open. You beat the Wingweaver, proved your progress. Up for helping to save Heartland from itself? That is...if you'd like to be friends with us, of course."

Percy was surprised. He'd expected to have to work for these people, but the idea of being their equal rather than their subordinate was refreshing. In the Hand of Midas, he'd known camaraderie, but felt so helpless in the face of all that happened to it…to Father Maeda...

"I'm with you all." Percy finally stood straight. "Your cause needs all the great Duelists it can get...and I should have had your approach to life years ago."

Brother, sister, and goddess all smiled as one. "Great!" said Akaine.

Ehris instantly wrapped her arm around Percy's shoulder. "You're gonna have a great time here; we'll be just like family! But with more explosions! And hey, look at the bright side-with us, it's not like you'll be starved for..."

* * *

 **NUMBER TIMELINE/HEARTLAND CITY/2 DAYS BEFORE JOINING THE ASPECT, HEARTLAND SECURITY TRAINING ROOM**

"...ATTENTION!"

Percy's eyes snapped to focus on Nistro's call to stand at arms (or Duel Disks, in this case). Despite the spaciousness of the hall he and several other duelists occupied, the person pacing in front of them was all too familiar. After all, it wasn't every day that the pride of Heartland came to meet them.

"Alright then, riffraff; you've got a lot to prove to us and to Mr. Heartland, got it? said the first of the two, her well-tamed purple hair belying her crisp attire and hard glance. "The people you'll be going after are _not_ in their right minds. They're untrained with what they have, and endangering to the world for it!"

Percy swallowed thickly at this, his trained stance the only reason the duo didn't see it.

"Untrained? …these guys sound tough but these cards don't! Why should we….um, we-"

In an instant the purple-haired woman was in his face, the _clackclackclacks_ her heels made on the ground so rapid you'd have thought a bag of pins had dropped between them. The only thing that actually did drop was her voice as she responded. "-Or maybe I pull you out of this line, throw you out of this building, and leave you for the Lilybots to sweep out of _our town_ instead of listening to your latest ignorant wailings about the Numbers you're joining us to contain. All in favor?"

Dextra's hand mockingly went up in a flash. Following an acid-tinged glance around the room, the rest of the recruits shakily followed suit. Percy himself kept an arm at half-mast, curled and at about eye-level, looking more like he was set to wipe his brow than reinforce the woman's threat.

"Glad some of us realize why I've had you here at five in the morning-and it's not to have our authority questioned." The woman then let out a sigh. "At ease, sorry for that outburst. Nistro, take it away."

"Take that moment to heart, folks! Making sure you don't embarrass Heartland-or us-in your attempt to capture their Numbers! Discipline better be at the front of your minds, we clear?" The more shocking of the duo took a full pace in front of the prospects at this, brown-on-red hair set in curling spikes that mimicked the true fire in his voice.

The group in front of him nodded, Percy included this time.

"So….who wants to try and pass their finals?"

The whirring motors of a silver D-Pad answered Nistro's question. The expression of the Duelist wielding it asked many more. Only one such detail would be answered, however; why his eyes were still trained on…

"Dextra, I know why you push us so hard, and considering my role in the Hand of Midas, I know all too well tales of what happens to the careless and that which they love." Finally, Percy's eyes turned back to Nistro. "And today, I plan to do my home away from…..from…."

Dextra's eyes softened at the stammer behind Percy's words. He had mentioned this before, in a heated row with Dextra over her hardened ways on the fourth day.

The barbs about why they could not use Xyz Monsters so early on in their training.

Dextra's comeback of why the 40 cards in Percy's Deck weren't enough to keep him afloat.

Percy's reply of what Dextra could _ever_ know about facing the odds and coming up short.

Dextra's voice, a harsh and rare echo against the pastel walls, wondering if he'd keep that attitude if she booted him back home right then and there.

Percy's scream to the cloud-thickened sky above about how his failure at this would _already_ make his life to that point all for…

"Not to worry, Mr. Shaddeus," Dextra shook a lock of amethyst behind her ear again. "We'll see just how much you've learned in your path to be a member of Heartland's future! Nistro, you've got this!"

"As if I ever don't!" Nistro proudly proclaimed. Set at 4000 LP apiece, today's first test of Percy Shaddeus was about to begin.

* * *

 **ASTRAL WORLD (PRESENT TIME)/NUMBER TIMELINE/?**

Behind his stony mask-both figuratively and literally, considering what had happened to his sons-Vetrix stewed.

Since arriving in this Astral World, it seemed people were falling out of the sky waiting to confront him. Such a person stood across from him-the Duel Spirit known as the Viral Vector-and unlike Eliphas and Astral, this person was thick with evil intent. So were the three mysterious Immortal monsters shielding her from view and the gigantic spiked microbes of the 'Immortal Incubator'.

And with 3000 Life Points to _start_ his first turn with, Vetrix was not in a mood to deal with this obstacle long.

"I draw!" Vetrix took a look at card number six in his hand and smiled. If only it were the most psychotic grin in this match, instead of the second-most, behind Viral Vector's. "And your nightmares begin with the Normal Summon of my 'Heradic Beast Leo'!" A window-shattering roar followed the arrival of the pacing Level Four lion, its armored face surveying Viral's field as if it were a buffet. **[EARTH/Beast/Level 4/2000 ATK/1000 DEF]**

"Following up, here's the 'Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena'! I'll have to dispose of another Heraldic Beast to Special Summon it, but that discarded card is my 'Heraldic Beast Tyger'-which lets me go on the hunt for a 'Heraldry' Spell Card when it hits my Graveyard!" The 'Heraldry Reborn' that the Argent Patriarch fished out from his Deck was almost swamped entirely by the white portal bringing forth his dragonic devastator. **[WIND/Dragon/Level 4/1700 ATK/1000 DEF]**

"One good turn deserves another, doesn't it? 'Heraldry Reborn', bring back Tyger from my Graveyard-it's about time we tore through the net! The Overlay Network, that is!" Vetrix's cackle was soon followed by the Normal Spell working its magic, reviving the white tiger overlaid with golden diamonds-only for the swirling nebula above to swallow it and Leo whole. **[LIGHT/Beast/Level 4/1900 ATK/900 DEF]**

"I combine my Level 4 Heraldic Beasts Leo and Tyger to bring to you-'NUMBER EIGHTEEN: HERALDRY PATRIARCH'!" The imploding nebula's light filled the outskirts of the Astral World, clearing to reveal a gigantic red-eyed crystal rung by a boomerang-shaped cerulean crescent, the 18 standing proudly in gold on its most fragmented edge. **[LIGHT/Psychic/Xyz/Rank 4/2200 ATK/2200 DEF]**

"Not done quite yet, missy, as my 'Heraldry Crest' Equip Spell now allows my Patriarch some new-found power! One such ability makes the name of the monster YOU control with the highest original ATK become its own-which, right now, is your 'Zombyra the Dark'!" Vetrix finished as the Equip Spell added another golden-winged ring behind the Psychic Xyz Monster.

Viral raised an eyebrow at this, almost hidden behind its sloping white top hat, as Zombyra the Dark's name altered before her D-Pad's screen. "Wh-wh-w-WHAT INDEED, does stealing my monster's name avail you V-v-Vector?"

"The power to use imitation as the sincerest form of _flattening_!" Vetrix cried aloud. "And with the departure of one of Heraldry Patriarch's Overlay Units, flattening is just what I'll do to your Zombyra the Dark!" Heraldry Patriarch's one of two orbiting lights blinked out, only for it to fire a laser from its crystal-inlaid eye at the Level Four Fiend of Viral's. The ensuing dust cloud saw the Duel Spirit's field one monster shorter-and Lesser Beast's Attack Points seven hundred smaller **[Lesser Beast ATK: 2450-1750].**

"Thanks to that disposal of Leo, by the way, I can bring forth another 'Heraldic Beast' from my Deck to my hand, such as my 'Heraldic Beast Griffon!" EARTH Winged Beast safely in hand, Vetrix was ready to counteract the Immortal insurrection Viral Vector had wrought. "Now Heraldry Patriarch, take down his Candlelier Chevalier!" Heraldry Patriarch's blue and gold rings lit up, and a colorful storm of shards shot out from it to impale the illuminated Fiend where it stood, it shattering in a storm that caught up the sinister Duel Spirit in its wake. **[Viral Vector LP:** **4000-3300** **] [Lesser Beast ATK: 1750-1050]**

"L-like that'll keep it down long!" Viral stuttered "My monsters are Immortal, and you'll see that once more! I tribute my Lesser Beast to bring t-t-t-t-THE Chevalier back! Or rather, I WOULD, if my Eternal Seeker in the Graveyard wasn't willing to re-r-r-RETURN to the Deck and help it come back w-wi-w-w-without a sacrifice! Since Chandelier is back, it's t-time to even our Life Points again, since the difference between ours is l-l-less than fifteen hundred!" With a flash of light, the wick-lighted warrior stormed back onto Viral's field.

"Not THIS time; thanks to my Patriarch's newest power!" the Argent Patriarch interrupted.

Viral's irises shrank to the size of buttons. "Wha-WHAT NEW POWER?"

"Simple! Since the Heraldic Beast Tyger is still one of its remaining Overlay Units, and my Patriarch is Psychic, the ability allows me to negate that monster effect right off the bat by detaching it! That's not all, however; the ability also lets me put a monster on your board too, as long as I summon a 'Heraldic Beast' from the same place with the same name! So as my gift to you, it's gonna be 'Heraldic Beast Aberconway' times two!" Two chalk-white dragons took down from twin twinkles in the sky on each Duelist's field, their wing breadth clearing the dust still left over from the Patriarch's assault-the Xyz Monster's, to be exact. **[WIND/Dragon/Level 4/1800 ATK/900 DEF]**

"Since they're here, and YOUR Aberconway is in Defense Mode, mine will make mincemeat of it in a split!" And Vetrix's Aberconway did just that, striking down its duplicate in an explosion of golden sparks.

"Now, these two Dragons will open the Overlay Network once again, and bring to you my great and powerful new Xyz Monster, 'Heraldry Duke GENES-LINEAGE'!" Overlay Network nebula at the ready to soak up the two Level 4 Dragons, the resulting implosion this time left behind a stag-like creature with great horns and a gateway of looping strands encircling its body. Its head was down and looking at Viral Vector even in its blue-tinged state. **[LIGHT/Psychic/Rank 4/2000 ATK/2800 DEF]**

"Let's see if you've got what it takes to keep up with ME now, Viral!" One card fizzled into the Spell & Trap Zone, and suddenly the Duel had taken a sharp turn in the Argent Patriarch's favor. The aforementioned Duel Spirit gritted her teeth at this.

"Happily." Not a single stutter penetrated her voice now. "After all, even now you STILL are nothing but a spoiled…"

* * *

 **DYSTOPIA OF DESIRE**

"…Sport."

"What?"

"I said, you kind of skipped over your father's relevance to the plot a bit there, sport."

Percy looked up from his current match across from the Dystopia of Desire with the altered Wingweaver, Emissary of the Sky. Ehris-the Wingweaver's summoner-was off to the side, her six wings providing a makeshift throne for her to rest atop confidently. "Yeah, and what of it?"

"How bad was it?"

Percy snorted "Don't you know, guardian angel?" When no answer met him, a sigh finally escaped the LIGHT Duelist. "When I showed up in Heartland, weeks after, I had to seek him out. Had no money. Little did I know, neither did he-everything he made from the restaurant either went into the pockets of Weasel, Chills, and Scorch after hours in that meat locker after a Duel…or into his pantry. Wanted to be the best chef in the world, but the talent didn't match the talk. Temper exceeded it, though." Percy's next sigh sounded like it was propelled from the lungs of a man twice his age. "Guess I was always secondary, no matter how much time passed…or what town I wandered into."

Ehris waited for a minute, and then finally stood. "All this and you only started going loco _now_? Don't know whether to be shocked or impressed."

Percy gave a weak smile at this. Ehris did not contest its genuineness. "Couldn't have been that bad," he continued. "After all those guys did…"

"….which I'm still eager to hear about, mind." The chaotic Duel Spirit held up one hand, and her golden apple flashed back into its waiting grasp. Inspecting it, the goddess of chaos continued. "Being tapped for consideration by the Heartland sugar daddy, your new mentor helping you find a way forward in Dueling, the meeting with Devin, your dad's improving mental state, and Nistro. Wait-was it that you lo-"

Percy's eyes flashed dangerously at that. Immediately after, they uncharacteristically softened. 'Is it so long that it must be uncharacteristic?' the displaced deacon didn't say. What he _did_ say was this.

"That all helped, sure, but Dextra….offered me another way out. Father-my actual dad, I mean-he was getting better, even _with_ the Cook around, too. Actually retained staff, brought them gifts, everything! I think the...the Hand of Midas members getting hunted...was what started getting him agitated again…like it did so many who joined the Hand of Midas." His gaze turned down as his hand rose up to idly point at the silent but agitated Wingweaver.

"But I'm not sure I was the solution Father Maeda thought."

An explosion drowned his final words and sent the goddess of chaos toppling in the air. "ALMIGHTY! Warn me before you continue your Duel! And wasn't your monster weaker than Wingweaver?!"

"It was-and heavily so." Percy announced as...the Wingweaver winced, its Life Points climbing down to 1650. "My City of Enlightenment, Maedas' means your winged buddy takes the damage from the battle instead since St. Bath was in its self-made Truce Zone. Brings out a different Maedas monster on its destruction, too. Like 'Arcius, the Great King of Maedas'." As Percy finished his spoiler, the heavily-armored warrior ruler stepped onto the battlefield, his golden armor only getting an. "A little gold is okay, that much on a man is…so _gauche,"_ from Ehris. It gave the remark even less regard than Percy did **. [LIGHT/Spellcaster/Level 7/1000 ATK/2800 DEF]**

"…and to answer the question….he wasn't bad at all to _me_. That made it worse." Percy spat. "That he had to hide it from me…that everyone else suffered for his loose-handedness, and the ones closest to him were so….so starved for attention….that they would have taken…"

The displaced deacon would not continue. Nor were the next words uttered from him. "Arcius, destroy the Emissary Wingweaver's Goddess of Whim. Think that's what you were aiming for, yes?" Wingweaver's almost incredulous look at her maker was cut off by the Maedas Kings Great Arcius' Ghost attack, as it surged forward and shot out a phantasmal double of itself that exploded on contact with the leaf-dressed Fairy. The altered Wingweaver's Life Points took a short tumble to 1600.

Ehris sat back on her winged perch. "Continue your story again; you've got time. I want to know about the calm that came before _your_ storm."

The incoming storm drenched the slowly moving figure in seconds as he made their way past the stone gates. Morning still had not fully graced Heartland City yet, but the Lilybots puttering around the cloaked figure gave him a wide berth. By the time he had reached the doors of the building, he was shivering.

One knock, however, and the door creaked inwards. The figure looked at it dumbly for a moment, then quickly stepped in and removed the hood.

Percy Shaddeus was…home.

And yet he still felt as cold and empty as that hall. Both realizations disturbed him.

He pulled out the Deck with one hand, a flashlight in the other, and made his way to the altar at the end of the countless lines of benches. Once there, he dutifully lit several candles around the confession stands-his body no longer trembling-and looked to the dimly illuminating hall.

"Father Maeda? I….I'm back."

A wayward glance at the Deck still cradled in his left hand brought back his memories of what had happened before his feet went slapping down the drowsy rain-slick streets of Heartland.

How his familiar trump card had been brought forth, against Nistro's hard-attained 'Heroic Champion – Aceleces'.

How finally, Percy was worthy of using Xyzes to get the upper hand, and how he'd make everyone proud.

How he used Havenn to Rank itself up into the powerful 'Vylon Disigma' and sought to make Aceleces its newest tool.

How the Overlay unit left it and…and how his move was so effortlessly…

"MAEDA! The exams…they didn' t go well at first, but…I have another chance! Where are the other Duelists, we have to get ready for the Counter Trap session!"

….how afterward, Dextra had come to meet him, far in the annals of the Heartland center building, his tear-stricken face a mirror to the pounding rain outside the lobby.

How she had commended him for how he'd picked himself up from Aceleces's final assault, nodded his concession to Nistro, marched out of the room for the next Duelist to try their hand.

How she had been the only one at the right angle to see his front shatter like stained glass once past the door, his head in his hands, before bolting.

How Dextra had followed, met him there in that lobby, talked to him of his ingenuity, said "…I'll be here by the day after next. Same time. Same rules. If you beat me, I'll see to it Mr. Heartland puts you at the head of the Duel Carnival security _myself_."

"…um, Father? I was wondering if…FATHER MAEDA!"

Father Maeda was just behind the pillar, the lights finally bright enough for Percy to notice him propped up against the stand he took to deliver his sermons. Rousing him awake, Percy was awash with questions.

"AreyouokaywhodidthishowdidallthelightsgooutshouldIcallthe-"

Without a world, Father Maeda shushed his star pupil with a finger to his own lips. When he spoke, his voice, low as the lights in the spacious hall, still rung with a touch of hope. "Fell unconscious…after the coma. Those lights were cut, my boy….and someone ran in while the commotion began. They took the number…the one used to resist temptation."

A series of wracking coughs broke the din. The sirens echoing just outside the door did as well, Percy only giving them a cursory glance before Maeda started again.

"The flock pursued our thief, I was losing consciousness and…and the lack of lights kept most of them from…noticing. Most except…your father."

Percy's heart should have made a sound, shooting into his shoes as it did. "My dad! Mother of all, _where is he_?!"

"He took back his Crooked Cook…made for the Heartland Tower. You must go after him, he is too headstrong."

Percy was already up, Father Maeda all but slung across his back as the paramedics rushed into the house. But before they made it across the hall, Father Maeda turned to Percy one last time. "My boy…there is one thing that can help….if it is that Photon prowler….you think it is."

"It MUST be!" Percy bellowed. "And I was too busy trying to be a security chief! I should have been here! An-"

"-Never mind that; right now… _you_ will have to lead the Hand of Maedas. And these…" Father Maeda pulled out an ornate box from his robe and thrust it into his hand. "…will help you prevail at the duty, as I before you."

Percy took one look at the card atop the box and his heart ran back into his chest, pounding at a rate so hard he feared it'd burst. "These are _your_ cards….your Deck! Your Number! I don't deserve this; I can't resist the pull of a Number! I couldn't even win against Nistro! Please, Father…" But his words failed as the medics took Father Maeda onto the stretcher.

"You can…and you already have. Your gift…will keep your heart alight…even if the path you find yourself on is not. This duty was always going to be yours, Percy. Now find your family…and your future." The oxygen mask settled upon Percy's mentor, the wheeling of the gurney faded out of the room, and Percy was left alone again. The words of the paramedic left behind rang hollow against his ears. All that could be heard to the impromptu leader…was the thoughts of his Number-holding brethren.

How they came to him much like how he'd seen Dextra and Nistro back in Spartan; broken and helpless. How he, back then was helpless himself, so weak-limbed he could only watch as that man in the gaudy suit and squared glasses whisked them off to a future in….Heartland, did that man say? How he followed them, found Maeda, trained effortlessly to see them again. How these fine men and women found strength themselves in the Numbers, and how when he turned a corner, their hard faces brightened-impossible, they thought, and surely a sign of miracles to come for this sport.

And now they were…lost.

Percy Shaddeus, however, would find them.

The rain pattered outside. Every part of Percy, from his heart to his shoes, pattered faster. Nature would not slow him now. Nothing would.

As the visage of the Heartland tower grew, so did his resolve.

"I'm coming! Everyone, I'm coming! Someone tricked us all, scattered us all-but I can handle this! I…can handle us..."

* * *

 **ASTRAL WORLD (PRESENT TIME)**

"...I can handle…. _everything_ ….you've put out so far," hissed Viral Vector. And with a swift draw, her psychotic look sprang back full force. "First o-off, the Immortal Incubator will begin its spawning again! With a simple payment of Life Points…" Viral's Life Points quickly dropped to 2850. "…it will bring me the Level Three 'Timender' and you the Level Four 'Wraith Master'-both in Defense Mode!" **[Timender/Machine/Immortal/DARK/Level 3/950 ATK/850 DEF] [Wraith Master/Zombie/Immortal/DARK/Level 4/1800 ATK/0 DEF]**

"Better still, that's two more DARK monsters on the field, and fourteen hundred more Attack Points for my Lesser Beast!" **[Lesser Beast ATK: 1750-3150]**

Vetrix gave a rumbling growl at this. "Had enough of seeing the Immortals?" Viral leered at the Argent Patriarch. "T-t-t-TOUGH, because the 'Immortals Into Darkness' Continuous Spell ensures I can add another powerful one to my hand!" A Level 8 Immortal monster was brought to Viral's hand from the Deck immediately – 'Athantos, Embodiment of Grave Mystery' was all Vector got from the card-and all he cared to.

"Then I target my Timender with Immortals into Darkness, giving it the ability to activate its Immortal ability without needing to come back from the Graveyard, at the cost of its attacking capacity and destruction at the end of your next turn! Now pick either your Main Phase 1 or your Battle Phase, for that'll be the Phase my Timender erases on your next turn!"

Vetrix's lip curled. "The Battle Phase, then. I have ways to get around your lockouts, anyways!"

"They won't come quickly enough! See, Immortals into Darkness also gives every Immortal monster I control three hundred additional Attack and Defense Points to play with when they fight, until the end of the Damage Step," Viral Vector snickered. "And what better time to fight than now! Lesser Beast, it's time to go get back my Wraith Master-strike with your Lesser Smash!"

The Lesser Beast's claws flashed out and it charged at the Wraith Master, who only quirked an eyebrow at the now 3450 Attack Point-toting monster ready to tear through her. She apparently was not one to worry much, however, as Vetrix was now prepared.

"My Heraldry Crest says only the Patriarch will endure your Beast's punishment this turn!" And with a fury unmatched, the super-powered Lesser Beast swung its tail into the Psychic Xyz, shattering it in a flash. Vetrix winced visibly as his LP suffered a similarly brutal hit, down to 1750.

"And that's not the only way your Lesser Beast's day will get worse! Both Heraldry Crest and Patriarch will activate their abilities now! First, the Patriarch will put another two Heraldic Beast monsters from my Deck into my Graveyard-like another Leo and my 'Heraldic Beast Unicorn'! Then, my Crest will put my Heraldry Duke right in the line of sight of your Immortal beast, and lock it in a field of stasis that will negate its abilities and drop its Attack Points by a thousand!"

The stag-like Xyz immediately rushed at Lesser Beast, and the yellow lightning from the Crest sent the mighty DARK Beast to buck in pain and fall to its elbows and knees-all six of them. **[Lesser Beast ATK: 3150-50] "** Oh, did I forget to mention my Leo's encounter with the Graveyard gives me a Heraldic Beast to add to my hand from the Deck again? Like my Twin-Headed Eagle?" Vetrix's literal half-mast grin betrayed his obliviousness. And Viral looked ready to wear out an inch of enamel in a second with how hard her teeth were grinding together.

"Rrrrgh! Chevalier, destroy Wraith Master NOW!" Chevalier quickly obeyed, and within a flash, the great mage was finally destroyed, her cries not mimicked by Vector as he had suffered no damage from this.

Yet.

"Now, Wraith Master, it's high time YOUR Immortal ability came into play-and thank you, wr-wr-w-w-w-WRETCH, for giving it a viable target! I sacrifice you, Lesser Beast!" With a cry, the weakened Level 2 Immortal monster was gone in a flash, and the skeleton-surrounded sorceress rose to take its place on the battlefield in Defense Position once more.

"Since it was destroyed, I can add another Immortal monster to play from the battlefield in Defense Position and switch the battle position of a monster on the field-like my Lesser-"

"The Heraldry Duke objects _this_ time, Viral! And with the departure of one of its Overlay Units, not only will that effect be negated, but your new Immortal monster's name becomes the same as my Heraldry Duke!" Viral bristled at the interruption, but the lightning shot from Heraldic Duke's horns showed the formerly named Wraith Master no quarter in locking down its powers.

"It-i-i-i-i-IT…doesn't matter! Wraith Master-what it w-was known as-still has an effect that triggers on its Immortal return! And with the field now set for your demise, I end my turn!" Viral Vector yelled.

"Then I draw and start mine!" Vetrix responded.

"Not before Wraith Master's Immortal ability kicks in-since it's YOUR Standby Phase, Wraith Master's troupe grows by two-two 'Wraith Tokens' that is!" To either side of the Level Four Immortal monster, two skeletal replicas of herself rose from the pitted Astral ground. **[Wraith Token/DARK/Zombie/Level 2/0 ATK/1800 DEF]**

Undeterred, the Argent Patriarch continued his turn. "All the more pests to put down, then! I Normal Summon the 'Heraldic Beast Twin-Headed Eagle', and since its Normal Summon happened uninterrupted, my Heraldic Beast Griffon will be out to join it from my hand!" Both Winged Beast monsters flashed out from behind distant towers in the Astral World and roosted in front of Vetrix a minute later, their three combined sets of wicked beaks providing a sharper edge to the Duel. **[Heraldic Beast Twin-Headed Eagle/WIND/Winged Beast/Level 4/1200 ATK/1400 DEF] [Heraldic Beast Griffon/EARTH/Winged Beast/Level 4/900 ATK/2000 DEF]**

"Now with these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network once more!" A star-thick nebula appeared above both Duelists' heads again, and the resulting explosion from the light meeting dark called forth yet another of Vetrix's fearsome Numbers.

"I bring to you, 'Number 8: Heraldic King, GENOM-HERITAGE'!"

The sleek form and sharp colors of Genes-Lineage's distaff counterpart did not drag attention away from the number eight stamped on its facial helmet. **[LIGHT/Psychic/Xyz/Rank 4/2400 ATK/1800 DEF]**

"And now, the Heraldic Beast Griffon's effect activates; see, it'll target yet _another_ monster you control, and give it the same name as one Psychic Xyz Monster of my choosing on the field. Then, if the Overlay Units my Xyz Monster has were monsters of the same Type, Griffon gives my Heraldry King Attack Points equal to half of your monster's Attack Points-like your Candlelier Chevalier!" With a warped cry, the Argent crest flashed its way onto the Warrior Immortal's face mask in a macabre fashion similar to Genom-Heritage's insignia. **[Number 8's ATK: 2400-3150]**

"It's time for Genes-Lineage's primary ability to shine! I remove one Overlay Unit from my Heraldic King to draw three cards-one for each monster on the field that shares Genes-Lineage's name!" Vetrix then pointed directly at the Vector. "That's not all, either-you take five hundred damage for each card I drew!"

The white-hatted woman's eyes shrank to pinpricks as the Heraldic Duke fired off a searing laser from the pendant on its chest directly into her own, smashing the Duel Spirit's Life Points down to 1350. **"** Now for my last steps!" Vetrix proclaimed. "The 'Heraldic Beast Unicorn', in my Graveyard, will now banish itself to bring back a familiar face-return to me, my Number 18: Heraldry Patriarch!" And the crystalline Xyz was suddenly back between its Heraldic brethren, forming a triad of Xyzes separating Vetrix and Viral.

"Then the Heraldic Beast Twin-Headed Eagle that I detached will banish _itself_ from my Graveyard to load up one of my Overlay Unit-less Psychic Xyz Monsters with two more Heraldic Beasts-like my Heraldry Patriarch!" In a flash, both Heraldic Beasts Leo and Tyger were attached to Number 18 once more.

"Thanks to Unicorn, my Patriarch wouldn't be able to use its abilities, but my Griffon's recent Summon had another hidden ability; one that ensured no negation will stop any of my monsters' powers now! So I'll put one of the Patriarch's Overlay Units to good use, and target my Heraldry Duke-meaning every other monster with its name will be destroyed!" In a furious explosion, both Viral's Wraith Master and Candlelier Chevalier imploded on contact from the Heraldry Patriarch's vicious beam.

"So what?! I-I'll bring them back, each with one of Wraith Master's Wraith Tokens as Tribute!" Both Immortal Monsters were back on board with Viral. "And since they both are, their Immortal talents will trigger again, with-"

"-Oh, neither of them are doing anything _this time,"_ Vetrix hissed. "Heraldic Duke will again negate the abilities of your Candlelier Chevalier and convert it to a copy of itself! And your Wraith Master?... Well, my new card will ensure it finds itself back in the hot seat! Go, 'Luster of the Divine Dragon'!" The Quick-Play Spell popped up behind his triplet of Xyzes. "Not only will your Wraith Master have its effects negated, but no other card effect affects it this turn!"

Viral looked back at Vetrix blankly at the maneuver as her Wraith Master screamed at the light permeating its body."Y-you really think you've finally cornered me out now, don't you?"

"Oh no." And with a final swipe that laid another two face-down cards in his Spell & Trap Zones, Vetrix grinned psychotically. " _Now,_ I do."

* * *

 **NUMBER TIMELINE/HEARTLAND CITY/14 HOURS BEFORE JOINING THE ASPECT, HEARTLAND TOWER**

Percy's run through the rain-slick city ended at where they had begun only scant hours ago-the gates to its highest tower.

The gates had been opened by a fire that had broken out in the security booth behind it, causing the people within to open it in a desperate attempt to put tracks between them and the burning station. But Percy wasn't focused on the fire. Already winded, his mind was focused only on the bodies lying around him that he recognized as fallen members of his flock. As he went to rouse them, he noticed their blank faces, their feverish touch – and most of all, their Number-less Decks, mostly preserved from the downpour by their D-Pads.

Then Percy passed the gates, lost in a sea of more Heartland paramedics, and slipped past the other security. He wanted to stay by his flock but only half were accounted for, and if their trajectories led where he thought it lead…

And so, on he marched until that shout came out, five words that finally turned his blood as cold as the rain.

"GO, ' _GALAXY-EYES PHOTON DRAGON'!"_

Suddenly, Percy couldn't stagger fast enough to that central building. Incomplete stages and stands greeted him and empty kiosks flashed by, but the second he laid eyes on that tower, his fears were confirmed: The Duel was over, and had been for some time.

Several other Duels had also concluded-those of the rest of his Number-less flock. Bagooska, Queen of the Night, and Master of Blades, and-

 _Curse it, why do I only know the NUMBERS' NAMES and not theirs?!_ Percy's mind reeled at the revelation, and suddenly he recognized a name, this time it was because of the face: Hair as salt-and-pepper-like as the seasonings he flooded his dishes with; deeply flushed skin, joked of as a result of the peppers so present in his special dishes; and a suit as crisp as his restaurant's pantry, which was being ruined both by the rain on the perch above and by his frantic attempts to pry the blond-haired white-clothed teenager's hand off of his increasingly colorless head.

The latter attempt was failing.

"DAAAAAD!" Percy was atop that high catwalk in a way he had almost forgotten, back when the ceiling of the Hand of Maedas' headquarters needed handiwork and he was the only one nimble enough to ensure it.

Once at the end, he turned to face the blond, and his statement from before was now tragically corrected: His father's attempt had _failed._

White-haired, parchment-pale, and as comatose as the rest, Papyri Shaddeus slumped to the floor of the rain-slick balcony. The blond, apparently finished with his work, stuffed a card Percy could barely read as _Number 59: Crooked Cook_ into one of his coat pockets before his vibrant glow left him, the coat now black with only white highlights to hint at his photonic power.

The figure – this apparent thief – then turned away from Papyri and towards the open sky, not even noticing Percy ten feet from him, though likely because Percy was coated in the shadows of the tower.

When he did make his turn, however, Percy felt the greatest chill he would feel that day course through him. He tried to put a finger on what he was feeling, not wanting to figure it out even though deep down he already knew what it was as he saw the kid press something on his wrist.

 _Recognition._

And then in a blink, the kid was gone.

Percy looked wildly around, but at this point, it was solely for the culprit's location. The identity of the hunter that had ripped the Numbers and souls from the Hand of Midas and so many others was clear: _Kite Tenjo._

When he was certain the Photon Duelist was gone, Percy took several shaking steps forward, kneeling down beside his father's listless body. _No,_ he begged to anyone above-or anyone who'd list. _No, no, no, please don't be…_

"Dad?" he ventured nervously, his voice cracking as he took his father's head in the crook of his body. "Hey, Dad, c'mon. Wake up…"

Nothing. Percy could feel it building up inside of him. He was torn between knowing it wouldn't happen and denying it was true. "Dad, please, c'mon…" he begged, imploring the man who'd brought him into the world to wake up and let him know he wasn't leaving. They'd never had the best relationship, but they'd always understood each other in their own way, and Percy realized how much he loved the crazy coot in his arms. "Dad, don't be gone. C'mon Dad, you were so _close_ … Please, _please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please…_ "

When he finally stopped pleading, Percy held his head up to the sky… and let out an inhuman shriek to the silver sky, his mourning only answered by the scream of the thunderclaps.

* * *

 **NUMBER TIMELINE/HEARTLAND CITY/ 11 HOURS BEFORE JOINING THE ASPECT, HEARTLAND HOSPITAL**

Percy's head snapped forward again. _Right, hospital,_ he thought, wondering how he'd avoided catching hypothermia from running in the rain.

"Q….ques…questions for later…"

He craned his neck and immediately grunted in discomfort as the pain from his impromptu rest in the chair took hold. He rolled his head around in a three-sixty-degree arc to pop the muscles and loosen them up, noticing he was just outside his father's room. If only he could have seen Maeda before the exertion got to him! But the E.R. was a rather tricky place for a non-doctor to get into, so he pressed his ear against the door.

"Stable. Coma. Probably wouldn't come out of it. We're looking for a final diagnosis," came the words of the doctor, meeting him through the glass. After thirteen similar requests about the rest of the Hand of Midas were answered in the same way, Percy fled to the closest seat to his dad's room and laid in it, his eyes going blurry again as he remembered who he'd lost. He wished he hadn't woken so soon. He prayed that this was all a dream, that soon he'd wake up and his dad and the Hand of Midas would all be just fine, Numbers or not. But no luck. His head was in his hands again as thoughts of despair took hold.

His attempt had failed. He was now the leader of the Hand of Midas, a clique and doomed Dueling division now rooted in their beds in Heartland Hospital. Percy's heart burned with rage as he thought back to who'd done this to his fallen flock. The man responsible, that photonic _scumbag_ who took Number hunting to the extreme.

 _Why, Kite? Why'd you do it? Why'd you have to take them_ _from me? You got what you wanted, didn't you? You won the Duel, got their Numbers, so WHY their souls, too?! What satisfaction do you get from this?!_ He slammed his fist against the wall, angry at how powerless he was. _And I just stood there. I just stood there and let it happen! I should've done something! I should've stopped that Photon Dragon; at least then Dad'd still be up!_

Percy looked back towards his father's room when it hit him. _Kite used Photons,_ he realized. _PHOTONS! Of course! All this time the Number Hunter's been so close to me! He's been with Heartland's elite, he's been with… with…_

* * *

 **DYSTOPIA OF DESIRE**

"…Dextra and Nistro, yes?"

Ehris wrapped up that part of Percy's story. Percy, after a minute, nodded his approval of events. "They both…KNEW….of what Kite did. And they wanted me to help protect a tournament so he could do… _what?_ More of the same?!"

"Guessing you didn't take that well, considering what I walked into."

"…no, really?!" Percy voice was a hoarse whisper as he turned to his Fusion-made opponent. "Now, I activate 'Manifest Destiny'! With the banishing of Arcius, I call upon the sacred root of the Hand of Midas, my Father Maeda's personification of righteous justice-GO, my Level Eight 'Maedas Elite-Farren, the Wildfire'!" Out from the heart of the inferno that had formed in front of the Dueling deacon, the angelic Fusion Monster was a terrifying force, walking from the embers that heralded his arrival like it was nothing-and staring at the Wingweaver like it was even less than nothing **. [FIRE/Fairy/Fusion/Level 8/2500 ATK/3000 DEF]**

Ehris whistled at the newest arrival on Percy's field. "See this? Just enough gold to hint at greatness, and goodness, that _look!_ Akaine better fetch me soon…"

"…He can't hear you, you know that right?" Percy shook his head regretfully. "And the boss said she's sick of slipping in your drool, between this guy and that Salvio that Ceren's got…"

"…Oh hush, you, and focus on your Duel." Ehris then flashed up a copy of the card from the flames her apple once resided in, took one look at it, and suddenly blushed. "On second thought….guess focus doesn't matter in this instance."

"…Smart observation." The Dueling deacon raised his left hand to the sky. "Know the theatrics on my end are unbecoming-so I'll be swift. Farren, bring back the Arcius I banished to bring you forth back to my hand and hit that Wingweaver for damage equal to its Level times three hundred points! Should be a nice twenty-one hundred-and the last I need to pass this test."

Farren's Exalted Explosion barreled headfirst into the body of the LIGHT Duel Spirit, sending it sprawling back in a heap of fluttering feathers. **[Wingweaver, Emissary from the Sky's Life Points:** **1150-0** **]**

The shimmering façade of the Duel environment faded away, though the petal-thick air of the Dystopia did not stop blowing. "And I guess that seals it; you're the winner, and our newest entry into the Dystopia! I'd shake your hand, but…"

And with a flourish, Wingweaver, E.o.t.S. was propelled forward into Ehris's outstretched hand, the struggles of the Fairy Fusion monster proving futile as she was turned back into the monster card she once was before. "…I think you know where mine's been."

"First, thanks. Second, _ewww."_ Percy's mouth turned downward in faked disgust. "Also, I thought you said you'd stop that."

"I did. Viral Vector's still around, isn't she?" Ehris shrugged. "Besides, these are all cards either I run or the boss keeps. Ashes to ashes if they can't hold their own against us." Her gaze turned hard. "You may have to do more than this if the guys you're trying to replace don't go quiet, too-best I desensitize you to that now."

"Spoiler warning, then, goddess; not happening." Percy rolled his neck, trying to get out the kinks. "The Galaxy-Eyes users can burn in the light, but empathy for the deserving is _never_ not a good thing. Now let's see who this show was meant for." As he spoke, the shimmering barrier behind the floating castle fizzled out of existence.

"…Fair, and we're going now but…" Ehris took Percy by the hand, and together, both deacon and deity started floating. "Well, I guess I'm curious enough, it'll be a long trip. How did your encounter with Dex go, if she was like what I saw her like when I popped in?"

Percy sighed heavily. "Sure you want to know? It's….really not something I'm too proud to remember. Especially with all the pain…"

* * *

 **HEARTLAND CITY/1 HALF-HOUR BEFORE JOINING THE ASPECT, HEARTLAND TOWER, PRIVATE DUELING ROOM**

"…we went through to decipher the info we got on that family!" Dextra asked. This time, it was to a phone at her side. "Our Number hunting would be going better if we didn't have to worry about whoever these guys are that gave Kite so much trouble before! I'm already preparing for if that creepy-masked one comes calling, Nistro- you should be too! And-!"

Just then, the doors to the private Dueling stage swung open. One look at the visitor and Dextra knew of what had to happen now. "Yeah, one o' clock just ran in. Says it's urgent, another side of the city…and yes, I can handle it alone. Keep safe, Nistro." Snapping the phone shut, the Butterspy duelist turned to face Percy. "So then….second chance it is, then. And you're early too! Look, I heard about what happened to Father Maeda, do-"

"How long?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

The young deacon hadn't even raised his head to meet her eyes. His next words continued in the same low hiss, building with each sentence. "For the better part of a _year,_ I've been hunting down someone who's been taking Numbers. Hurting people too; hurting them irreparably. So how long. _Did you know. He was part of Heartland's elite?!"_

"…w-wait, are you talking about Ki-!"

"ZIP IT!" Percy thundered. "You're not asking the questions here anymore! Let me repeat; I'm not here for the job, or to talk this out over a lobby chair I poured my soul into so you could pull the strings!"

Dextra visibly paled at this. "N-never! I was never going to manipulate you over this! Those people Kite hunted were _criminals_ , Percy! One of them, the Gold Rat user, held up a mall! You even cheered his capture yourself!"

Percy finally looked up into her eyes, and any thought of demanding an immediate apology for that insult died when Dextra's eyes met bloodshot ones from the Dueling deacon. "You, of all people, don't get to talk to me about rats," he said coldly. Dextra immediately took his meaning. "Tell me; were you even thinking of letting me win when I showed up here? Just gonna crush my hopes entirely and hope Kite picked my bones when I crawled back to Midas? Or were you hoping I'd forget all about them when I got clearance?"

Dextra finally found her voice. "I do _not_ have to explain to you something I did out of-"

She winced as something flew past her head, connecting with the wall behind her and causing dust to fly from the ceiling. "Oh good, _finish that sentence._ It'll end well, I can tell. This whole private showing you cooked up after your best friend handed me my own coattails twenty- _three_ hours previous, _what did you do it out of? Love? Duty?…PITY?!"_

" _Familiarity_ , Shaddeus!" Finally, the purple-and-blue-haired woman stormed forth to meet him, finally unafraid of what Percy had looked like – or of her cracking façade in the face of someone she thought showed so much promise. "Of what it means to fight for something more than yourself! Of all the effort it takes to make sure those you care about come up with you! Of presenting your best face at the best time, as you did yesterday!" Dextra's voice finally got down to its level, familiar tone. "And if this is how you take how we handle the criminal element that has thrown this city into chaos more than once, as if we didn't warn you of what you'd face outside these doors-"

"Not a one of the flock that followed my dad in after that thief – _not ONE -_ _was a criminal!_ They were-"

"What, Percy, what? After running into a restricted area that someone committed arson to open, what _were_ they? Of facing someone with a Number that they _clearly_ weren't ready for, instead of helping your deacon to a hospital, what were _they_? Do they even tell you what they get up to after hours? Or maybe you'd be happy to give me a name and allow me to check your conclusions after class?"

Percy's scowl returned. "After all Kite did to them, you think I'd _ever_ -"

"Kite?!" Dextra's famously steel-hard composure was gone; her words now shrill gunshots across the walls of the emptied office. "Why would he need to _burn through a metal door_ to trap children into Dueling in that rainstorm? For their Numbers? Some of them would've given it to him if he asked nicely, they were that young! And if even half of what Kite said that guy who caught up to him did is true, I'm sorry, Percy, but your father didn't need a hand on his head _to make him_ _a lost cause_!"

The pause that followed could have given away an ant's footsteps. Finally, Percy snapped up his D-Pad, his face twisted in a powerful scowl. "One last Duel. You promised it, anyways. Win or lose, I'm out of your life. But if you don't beat me here…if you don't put me in the same coma _your blond best friend_ put so many people before me in…" And with a _thwip_ that almost sounded like it hit bone, Percy's Duel Gazer was slammed into the space around his left eye. "….then I'm going for him _next_."

Dextra's lip quivered once. Twice. Then her eyes sharpened to shards of pure ice and she jutted out her D-Pad, the field around them shimmering with their Duel Field. "Let the record, figuratively and in the _hospital,_ say you asked for this."

Percy drew out his five cards, not even caring to notice the trilling beep of his Life Point counter starting at 4000 like Dextra's. "The first turn's yours. If I were you, I'd…."

* * *

 **ASTRAL WORLD (PRESENT TIME)**

"...have thought twice about facing me, like all those who underestimated my family's power and pride!" Vetrix finally stood at full height and ripped off his mask, the warped prism of light that consumed half of his face finally visible. "See what my encounters turned ME into, and ask me what I will _NOT_ do to get back at those who endanger my kin!"

"WHAT YOU'LL _DO_ IS _SHUT UP!"_ screamed the Vector, her face still dissonant beyond the twists and wrenches of her open jawline. "And the biggest danger your family's had is the one who needs to hide behind masks to fight!"

"I'm not now!" Vetrix declared, knowing not of the double-ended meaning to the Duel Spirit's words. "And how have I _ever_ let them down?!"

"Your actions throughout the Carnival, wretch! Stealing Hart's face and mind..preying on Yuma and Astral! All events I have witnessed and that my maker on that planet above you all has! How you threw uncontrollable _power_ at them…watched them flounder with it….then rewarded them with rejection! A mercy they should have returned to YOU in kind!"

Viral took a foreboding step forward.

"But that, right now, is _irrelevant._ Because you know what happens when you face someone as willing to head to that brink and beyond as _you are?!_ Then you become your own demise! Now end your turn, _so I can end you!_ What do you think everything up to now is, if not the reckoning for your world?! _"_

"…Pity." Vector shot back. "Specifically, mine for you. I do have a question for _you_ now, though."

The white-hatted woman drew, looked at her card, and then back at the Argent Patriarch. "…and what i-i-IS IT, wret-"

"-GO, 'SWORDS AT DAWN'!" The Quick-Play Spell span up, and Viral was blinded by its light. " _Now_ , you know how well I take requests!" Vetrix triumphantly yelled. "Now my Spell Card will equip my Heraldry Patriarch with an Equip Spell from my Graveyard; my 'Heraldry Crest'! With it, this Duel is all but over!"

"…how so?"

"Because I've been keeping track, perhaps?" Vetrix pointed out her field. "You can see for yourself, too. The obvious plan you've been building towards is the Summon of that Athanatos you have in your hand. Probably by Tributing your Immortal monsters, and then chaining out their revival. But your field now means you'll lose one unless you lose your Athanatos. Meanwhile…"

Vetrix looked back at his Crest-clad Number 18.

"I have one monster that will overpower it, another that will turn its name into its own and destroy it should it make its 'Immortal return', and another that will simply negate its effect should it get past all else." A snort accompanied these words. "Of course, you could probably use your 'Immortal Incubator' to field another pair of immortals for it to strike at meeee…or use your 'Immortals into Darkness' Spell to forward its effect annnyways."

Viral gave a small smile at the words.

"Or I could simply activate my 'Heavy Storm Duster', and wipe them _both_ off this Dueling platform once and for all!" The gathering twin typhoons immediately crashed to both sides of Viral's field, then set in on both her Spells. Viral's head finally hung downwards at the dire situation she was in, and Vetrix threw back his head in preparation to celebrate the mass destruction.

The maddened cackle that spilled forth, however, was not from the Argent Patriarch. Vetrix was staring holes through the tittering Duel Spirit in an instant. "I've _won!_ Your back-row is about to be lost to the wind! Your greatest monster's about to walk into a trinity of Xyzes that will pick it _apart!_ What gives!?"

"...hehehehehehehe…." Viral's head finally shot up to meet him. "Your soul and your Life Points, _to list TWO!_ I ACTIVATE 'ADVENTAGEOUS ALLURE'! _"_

Viral's Quick-Play Spell flashed into action a moment later, and two curling light rays cut out Vetrix's gale force winds, curling into the shape of a helix above both their heads. "Since you've decided to force my hand, here it is! This allows me to conduct an Advent Summon-the ceremony to the unleashing of a monster class you'll never have seen before-and _will never_ witness again! Using my Wraith Master, and both of my present Spells, I call upon the Arch of the Advent to bring forth a new monster-one made from monster and magic alike!"

"WAIT, WHAT IS THIS?!" Vetrix's shout would go unheeded, as the shooting lights that once made up the three aforementioned cards turned into tethers surrounding the main loop in the energy helix. The 'gateway' now resembled an incomplete strand of DNA, the untouched loop now filling with light that a new entity sprang from it…

…one that was an exact duplicate of the Duelist standing before Vetrix. "I Summon the Level Six Advent Monster, yours truly, the ' _Viral Vector'!_ " **[DARK/ Fiend/Advent/Level 6/1500 ATK/2500 DEF]**

Vetrix's eyes almost crossed at the terrible revelation. "Y-you're an Advent Monster!? What is an Advent Monster….and how have you…"

"Questions for later, wretch-right now, my better half has a gift for you! See, for each card used for its Summon, it gains an Advent Counter-three to boot!" As she spoke, three hedrons circled her card-contained double. "It'll get another from the resolution of that Heavy Storm Duster Trap you activated, too, bringing it another pair of Advent Counters and five hundred more Attack Points!" **[Viral Vector ATK: 1500-2000]**

"Then, I activate the ability of my departed Wraith Master AGAIN, and tribute my Timender to bring it back to the field and activate its effect!"

Vetrix growled, "An effect I'll be happy to see wasted again, with my-"

"Oh, don't worry, V-v-v-VETRIX, baby; this time, you won't be able to neutralize the Master's effect this time." Viral immediately flipped forth the only other card in her hand. "Because MY 'Athanatos, Embodiment of Grave Mystery' _will do it for you!"_

"You're negating your own monster's ability?!" Vector was clearly shocked. "Wait! That monster must have a way to Summon itself!"

"And Wraith Master's activated ability after returning from the Graveyard to the field triggered it! Now I can Tribute Summon this monster using one monster, _and it doesn't even have to be my own!_ Say goodnight to your Heraldry Duke!"

The departure of the blue-skinned Immortal, and subsequently, the Tributed Heraldry Duke Genes-Lineage-immediately summoned forth a crimson column of rushing liquid. As it curled in the air, the form of an endlessly black-scaled body broke its tide, before whipping it off mid-point with its sharpened tail. As the spray settled, Athanatos revealed itself, the figure of a regal fiend adorning its wicked head like an ornament. This walking horror then rose to its fearsome fifteen-foot height and roared, an unearthly sound that sent Vetrix's hands clasping his ears. **[DARK/Dragon/Immortal/Level 8/3000 ATK/0 DEF]**

Vetrix immediately saw his opening in this dire situation, though. "Since that's now the strongest monster on the field, its time I cut it to size. Heraldry Patriarch, that monster now shares your name-strike it down with your last Overlay Unit!" The Psychic Xyz's ray-blast shot forth and struck the creature head-on, leaving it in a cloud of dust once more, but when it cleared, the Dragon Immortal was still standing, as all-powerful as ever. "Wha-…but how?!"

"Think Athanatos is going down that easily?!" Viral Vector shouted. "That's its true defensive power you've run into with it-no effect will EVER destroy an Immortal monster now!"

"Battle still can, though!" countered Vetrix, "And I've still got the most powerful monster on this field!" Indeed, Genom-Heritage's power stood a hundred and fifty points above even Athanatos's own.

"Timender will fix that, then! I banish it from my Graveyard, in order to take a monster on each side of the field, and send them to the Graveyard-like my Athanatos and your Heraldry Patriarch!" Both monsters were immediately pulled into the rip in reality that the Machine Immortal monster's departure had wrought.

"Now, I call upon Athanatos' great power, and give away my Candlelier Chevalier to call it back to the field!" With an earth-cracking roar, the Embodiment of Grave Mystery slithered back onto the field from a fissure in the ground. "And its Immortal ability allows YOU a privilege this time- _of choosing which of your monsters to BANISH!"_

Vetrix's teeth were about to crack with how clamped together they were. " _Fine!_ But first, my Patriarch's ability to call down two more of my Heraldic Beasts into my Graveyard will resolve-another two Unicorn and Twin-Headed Eagle should do!"

"But your field won't have enough monsters left for your Crest to drain one of their powers with! Genom-Heritage, vanish from my sight!"

The final Xyz of Vetrix's was whisked off the field in a flash of purple flames, Athanatos's Grave Silencer attack doing its dirty deed. Vetrix gave a hacking laugh at this action. "…I actually guessed right then, in how powerful its Immortal ability would be! A pity its power ends now! Since you banished my Heraldry King, my final Trap, 'Zero Force', will put both of your monster's Attack Points down to nothing!"

The light from the activated Trap washed over the field once more….and when it cleared, Vetrix… fell to his knees, still looking at the unaffected field of monsters. "N-no….that last move…I predicted it perfectly…."

"….And yours truly made that prediction worthless." Viral Vector's grin went full mast as she pointed at her double. "My Adventageous Allure protects everyone on my side of the field from Trap effects… _Vetrix."_

Vetrix immediately realized at that moment. "Y-you could have….you could have Summoned Athanatos and pushed past my defenses, all this time! _W_ … _wh-WHY DIDN'T YOU!_ What do you call what we've been _doing_ these last two turns, if you could have stopped it with that beast?! _"_

Viral tented her fingers in front of her madly twisted face, her claws only scraping past locks of crimson hair in the process.

"Pity," she uttered, throwing Vetrix's previous words back in the patriarch's face. "Specifically, mine _for you."_

Vetrix's arms finally fell to his sides, limp as he was in the face of both powerful beasts. "Could tell you before I end this that your little Trap-throwing tantrum gave my better half another two Advent Counters and five hundred more Attack Points…" **[Viral Vector ATK: 2000 -2500]** "But I'd rather we finish these festivities with something more… _memorable."_

With this, Viral took a finger, tucked it under her D-Pad, and a soft _beep_ emerged from a button hidden under it. Immediately, lightning coursed through the D-Pad and up into the sky. And suddenly, the visage of the true world situated above Astral World shimmered and revealed itself, a flurry of destructive bolts leaping from the planet in short order-off towards the area near the Astral Tower.

Several did strike around their arena, however, and Vector sprang to his feet at this, noticing his still-frozen family in danger. "W-what is this now?! You said this was about retribution-how is destroying this world meant to hurt me?!"

"Weren't you listening, _wretch?"_ Viral sneered, spreading her arms wide. "This is for those too stupid to realize the people they've trodden underfoot have venom in their _very veins._ Not you, not your sideshow friends…"

A stray bolt finally crashed into the strange mirror-like object behind her, shattering it. Viral did not wince. _Clearly, that was never a part of her original form…but why would she destroy it…?_ Vetrix thought.

"….and certainly not the Aspect."

Vetrix's eyebrows unbalanced. "You mean, you're…."

"I have always been with a higher power, a _maker…_ " Viral hissed. "And it is not that apple-cradling waste of cardboard, Ehris. Mine had me free of my two-dimensional bonds ages ago. And through my influence, I have found my way to them again, through the Aspect. Even now as we speak, one such member of it is feeling her…'control'….over her part in their plan being yanked from her grasp. Control the Aspect thought they had…until I slipped that leash loose."

"But, WHY!?" Vetrix yelled. "Who is this for, if not those invaders…?!"

Viral looked toward the sky. "A stronger world order. But by the time they do come…this world will be theirs-and yours beyond will follow. Attack, Athanatos."

Vetrix's stony stance wasn't even broken by the laser of red that the Dragon Immortal monster shot at him, but as his Life Point counter hit 0, the Argent Patriarch's warped face started flashing dangerously as he fell to his side. Viral took no notice, looking instead at the flashing light from the world above Astral, where bolts were busy striking near the areas the _other two_ Aspect members were.

Viral looked to the lighting-thick sky and chuckled. "Do wish I would have had more time to play. But ever since showing up in your world, disappointment's about all I expect from people..."

* * *

 **NUMBER TIMELINE/PRIVATE DUELING ROOM**

"…like you. Letting me play out my field first, to have something to coldly counteract. Think you got it from…me, didn't you?" Dextra's eyes narrowed in disgust. "And yet you levy all these…. _slanderous_ …words at me and my friends? After all the promise you showed? Good luck getting past your turn, kid, because mine's over."

Percy was once again silent, staring at his purple-and-blue-haired foe's board. He had seen it before in Dextra's Duels past, but this new configuration would have been paralyzing for him to face before.

'Butterfly Bloom' was her first activated card-a Continuous Spell that brought her a Butterspy, 'Morpho Butterspy', to be exact. **[DARK/Warrior/Level 4/1200 ATK/1600 DEF]** It also got the operative a Set Continuous Spell/Trap that would require the payment of Life Points to activate from her Deck. Both of those cards' survival was chained to the Swarm, however.

A 'Monarch Papillon' in the Graveyard, one of two that hit the field and provided the way for an Insect Xyz with a discard. **[LIGHT/Insect/Level 5/2200 ATK/2600 DEF]** In this case, that Xyz was a fitting card of subterfuge for the Heartland operative-the Rank Three 'Digital Bug Scaradiator', whose chrome eyes had bored deep into Percy's across the battlefield. **[LIGHT/Insect/Xyz/Rank 3/1800 ATK/1400 DEF]**

The discarded Continuous Trap in the Graveyard, one of two "Butterspy Lucidream" that granted her the second 'Monarch Papillon' on its demise. One such Papillon was long gone, the remaining Overlay Unit of the new Rank Five of Dextra's-a titanic cerulean critter known as 'Photon Kwagar Hercules Beetle'. **[LIGHT/Insect/Xyz/Rank 5/ATK 2000/DEF 2500]** Its first ability was how Corebage had _its_ three materials; all Spells and Traps that she excavated from the top of the Deck and got to attach to its previous form in Scaradiator.

Her second is what got the Corebage and several other Continuous Traps on board; detaching two materials from her Scaradiator to bring out the Rank Five Digital Bug had triggered Photon Kwagar Hercules Beetle's other effect. **[LIGHT/Insect/Xyz/Rank 5/2200 ATK/1800 DEF]** With the loss of one of its overlay units, Dextra's Photon Kwagar Hercules became a thousand Attack Points stronger. **[Photon Kwagar Hercules Beetle's ATK: 1900-2900]**

Monarch Papillon hitting the Graveyard also triggered an arriving 'Butterspy Effect' from the Deck, putting Dextra's Life Points at 4000 from its demand of five hundred Life Points per card in her hand to activate.

A Rank Four 'Photon Butterspy Princess' that was vibrantly glowing beside her fellow spies was also present. **[Photon Butterspy Princess/LIGHT/Warrior/Xyz/Rank 4/1800 ATK/2400 DEF]** _She_ had come about by the follow-up 'Moth's Molt' which netted Dextra two cards-Morpho Butterspy number two and 'Blue Mountain Butterspy'-after paying two thousand Life Points to activate it and gaining eleven hundred from its lingering effect targeting Monarch Papillon, putting Dextra's Life Points at 3100 at the end.

It was then that Percy saw the true power of 'Butterspy Effect', as each subsequent payment of Life Points from a Spell effect saw her add a "Butterspy" or LIGHT Insect monster from her Deck to the hand with less Attack Points than the paid Life Points. Each time, she added a 'Golden Ladybug'.

Her next two cards would put it far lower, though. Photon Butterspy Princess would end up detaching and Summoning back its Overlay Units as monsters and draw Dextra another card – which would turn out to be the fearsome 'Butterfly Swarm' that would put Dextra's Life Points at a low 2100. Another Golden Ladybug was brought to her hand with this action, and the turn was ended with a face-down Spell/Trap Card.

It was immediately followed with Photon Butterspy Princess taking flight and using its Queen's Crossbow Strike attack in the End Phase. The assault ripped three thousand Life Points from Percy – six hundred for each Warrior and Insect-Type monster Dextra so controlled - while giving her Life Points a six hundred point boost for each face-up Spell & Trap, putting her Life Points back at 3800 and Percy at a chillingly low 1000.

Now, Percy's turn started, and Dextra was kind enough to trigger her second 'Butterspy Lucidream' Continuous Trap and use its ability, calling…

"Attack Position – and with this announcement, this Duel is as good as over."

"How so?!" Percy yelled.

"With it, this card changes the battle position of every non-Warrior or Insect-Type monster whose effect is activated on the field, after ridding them of five hundred Attack and Defense Points." Dextra drew back a lock of hair that had gotten in front of her Photon-tattooed eye. "And for every monster of yours in that declared position during the End Phase, you take five hundred damage."

Percy's breath halted at the news. "And if I do Summon a monster in Defense Mode…"

"…you'd have to pay a thousand Life Points for the privilege. Which is exactly what you have now." Dextra idly looked at Corebage. "In addition, my Photon Kwagar Hercules Beetle will keep even a point of battle damage from hitting me, as well as take five hundred from you when you attack a monster. And even if you do manage to keep a monster in Defense after it hits the field, my Corebage will simply shuffle it back into the Deck on my next turn. You wanted me to make my turn count, Percy? Because the ways in which you're screwed right now are _countless."_

Percy took a step back at this, surveying Dextra's impressively constructed field. Then his face set in a determined grin.

"It'll be easy, cur." And with a draw to six cards in hand, Percy started his turn. "First off, I activate 'Remembrance', and with the departure of a Spellcaster-Type 'Maedas' monster to my Graveyard from my Deck, I add a Fairy-Type 'Maedas' monster from my Deck to my hand – like the Level Three 'St. Oletta, the Blightspotter of Maedas'!"

Dextra raised an eye at this. "Bringing out the new stuff already, sport? I suppose I should be honored."

Percy ignored her. "Now, my 'Narnia, Vested of Maedas' will come forth from my Graveyard in Attack Mode, thanks to me adding a Fairy-Type monster from my Deck to my hand, and turn one Monster Zone on each of our fields into a Vested Zone!" The black-haired Spellcaster immediately issued out of a geyser of water before her, held back by a magical bronze ring that also appeared on Dextra's field under her Blue Mountain Butterspy to spawn a similar pool. **[LIGHT/Spellcaster/Level 3/900 ATK/1800 DEF]**

"And my 'Butterspy Lucidream' will rip five hundred of its Attack and Defense Points away, then switch it to Defense Mode!" The Maedas Spellcaster yelled in pain as the spore storm from the Continuous Trap sent it to its knees. **[ATK: 900-400/DEF: 1800-1300]** "By the by, thanks for your Special Summon. It brought a wonderful thing for me to use, and one good turn deserves another – with my activated card, 'Demise of the Land' And it'll bring forth the final piece of the puzzle with the Field Spell, 'Savage Colosseum'!"

The glow from the Quick-Play Spell bathed the arena in an eerie green light, Dextra's next words sounding more like they were uttered from a pulpit than from an office space. "You know of that Field Spell, right? It'll give your monsters three hundred more Attack Points in battle, but all of them now _have to attack,_ and every monster you have that doesn't is destroyed at the end of the turn. Just keeps getting _worse for you_ , doesn't it, Percy?" Dextra's head lowered in masked fury. "Almost like spitting in the face of everything and every _body_ that got you here is a good way to be carted out."

Percy's next words came in a breath almost as rough and ragged as the thick dust Butterspy Lucidream's activation had kicked forth. "You. Do not ever. Get to claim credit for what's led up to this anymore. Only the blame."

Then, Dextra's 'Demise of the Land' shot out electrical sparks and fizzled out of play, Percy silently revealing two cards in his hand in response; the already-acquired St. Oletta…and a Spell-negating 'Herald of Green Light', both of which were sequestered in the Graveyard at the same time Dextra's neutralized card did.

"The only thing that got me here was my admiration for you and Nistro – that you've made me regret for the rest of my _life!"_

A Normal Summon of a 'Hypnotic Fairy' and an activated ability would then occur, the response of the Butterspy Lucidream turning it to Defense Mode and depowering it. **[LIGHT/Fairy/Level 4/ATK 1800-1300/DEF 600-100]**

"The only thing that _kept_ me here was the Hand of Maedas, which your friend's crusade has now _destroyed!"_

Both the discarded Herald and St. Oletta were brought forth in Attack Mode, and their Levels-as well as the Hypnotic Fairy's-became Level One. **[St. Oletta/LIGHT/Fairy/Level 3-1/1200 ATK/DEF] [Herald of Green Light/LIGHT/Fairy/Level 2-1/ATK 300/DEF 500]**

 _Is he planning to go for a Rank One? But that Fairy of his only lets him Summon LIGHT monsters for the turn now! Slacker Magician wouldn't stand a second against my field, and Mira could prevent its destruction three times, but the damage I could push through it would be enough to finish him!_ _Unless he's got a new Number, this is the end of his tu…_

And then Dextra's eyes widened.

"Of all things, Percy, did that Deck come with a Numb-"

"-And the only person responsible for all the victory that led us both here – and I, beyond – is _me…"_

A swirling nebula appeared above them, and to the Photon operative's horror, St. Oletta and the Herald of Green Light shot into its center as beams of light.

"… _myself…"_

The nebula exploded, and for the faintest of moments, a pair of numerals – seven and eight – appeared in the crown of Percy's blond hair. Every part of his face below that symbol and his eyes were obscured by his steepled hands.

"…. _and PERCY SHADDEUS!_ With these two monsters and the Overlay Network, I Xyz Summon _'Number Seventy-Eight: NUMBER ARCHIVE'!"_

Several giant cylindrical shelves slammed into the ground beside the deacon, before a gigantic library of the same structure formed around both Duelists. **[Number 78: Number Archive/LIGHT/Spellcaster/Xyz/Rank 1/0 ATK/DEF]**

Thankfully, Dextra's poker face kept Percy from noticing her shock. "So this explains your mood shift. I guess beating you will be for _both_ our own good now. End your turn and let's be quick; I…" the operative stuttered. "…I miss the old you. This you's not winning today, no matter whose Life Points hit zero."

"…all you miss, cheerleader, was how the old me fell for the same _old tricks_ ," Percy said. "And I'm through with being used. I'll _use_ one of Number Archive's Overlay Units, however, to finally show you the true reason I was never trusted with a Number…"

The library glowed with blinding light within seconds, the only visible vision being the various seventy-eight symbols fading to jet-black on the library shelves' surfaces. "…'cause the truth of your great Numbers is this; these Numbers don't create evil; they _reveal_ evil. Being true of heart means the Number bends to _your_ will, instead of you to it. I may be the only member of the Hand of Midas standing, but I am one Duelist too many. Your lapdog should have finished the job yesterday…"

The Number Archive suddenly rumbled, as if something was about to uproot it from its cocoon around both Duelists."…and you and Nistro should have stayed in Spartan City." Percy's scowl returned. "Now face the very Number my home perished for you to pilfer! I turn the Number Archive into another arbiter of justice-the Rank Eight ' _Number Ninety:_ _GALAXY-EYES PHOTON LORD'!_ "

"Galaxy-Eyes-?!" Dextra's uncharacteristic shock was swiftly interrupted by the eruption of the Overlay Network, the one sole light that flew into its cradle crashing down to earth to reveal a shining blue paladin, luminescent skin and sword as long as the room it rose to scrape the ceiling of. **[Number 90: Galaxy-Eyes Photon Lord/LIGHT/Warrior/Rank 8/2500 ATK/3000 DEF]**

Dextra's next words were part of a disbelieving stutter. "Y-you…Your Hand of Midas…had this Number? A Galaxy-Eyes?"

Percy's look turned bitter, yet somber. "We _had_ that number-above our temple's highest wall. It was a sign of the temptation towards evil with our powers as Number holders…and how we kept it at bay. Right now, the Archive has simply produced its powers to bear for a turn. It has the Photon Lord's name and abilities….but little of its longevity. By this turn's end, my Lord will fall."

Percy flashed out another card in his hand. "But it will see you struck down first, with the help of this! I activate the Spell, 'Leeching the Light', giving my Photon Lord the same Attack Points as your Photon Kwagar Hercules – all twenty-nine thousand points of it!"

"Then I guess it's time I put in a final trick of my own!" Dextra retorted. "Since my Xyz, 'Photon Butterspy Princess', has no Overlay Units, it can make one out of the destroyed body of a Special Summoned monster with higher Attack Points than it – like your phantom Photon!" Dextra shot out one of her hands. "Go, Photon Absorption!"

The Princess immediately sent out the pincers on her side at the Warrior-Type Xyz Monster, the tips of them glowing flickeringly. "My Number is staying right where it is, and this Spell will ensure it – go, ' _Black-to-Back Wave_ '!" The Quick-Play's magic immediately issued a star-studded bolt of black into the chest of Percy's illusionary Number, turning its luminescent skin dark as the cosmic network it came from. "Since this Xyz has another Xyz as one of its Overlay Units, it detaches them all, replaces one of them with itself, and draws me a card for each! It then protects my monster against all other targeting card effects– like your Princess's piteous effects to absorb it!"

The Rank Four monster's pincer bounced off of the Photon Lord's skin, the indigo armor above it now glowing with the light Percy's previous spell was sapping from Photon Kwagar Hercules Beetle' wings. **[Photon Lord ATK: 2500-5400]**

"Impossible!" Dextra stepped back in shock – shock that was short lived as she remembered. "…but this doesn't matter. Photon Kwagar Hercules Beetle protects me from all battle damage from my monster's fights. Which means you'll still be five hundred Life Points shorter when your attack fails to finish me."

"Oh, my Photon Lord will be fighting a monster, all right – but none on the field! Number Ninety, attack Dextra _directly! Photon Slash of Destruction!"_

"But how-?!"

"Black-to-Back Wave, of course! It keeps the monster insulated by its shroud from attacking monsters, but allows it to attack players instead!" Number 90's sword was drawn, and the five-thousand-Attack-Point Warrior crossed the almost insignificant distance between both players immediately. Dextra could only stand in stunned shock as its pierce sent her across the room and embedded her in the wall, her Life Points shooting down to 0.

As the Galaxy-Eyes ghost vanished, Percy shelved up his D-Pad, straightened his suit, and crossed the distance to the Photon operative himself. "And you're right about that ditty you delivered before."

"R….right about what?" Dextra strained out, trying to pull herself from the her-sized indent in the soft plaster.

Percy calmly looked at one of his hands. "Me beating you in a Duel is not how I win. Not even with the Photons that were once exclusively yours-though the joy from having the Dragons fall to this knight will be glorious." "You not stopping me until the plan's over is how I win."

Then Percy's hand glowed. "Turns out, the Maedas hands me a transformation, like your Photons afford you. It almost…really broke me, when I made the connection with how Father Maeda roused so many out of Number rages, and how a hand on the shoulder make you feel like family. But….I think he didn't know. That's the whole thing this has been about, isn't it? Being _in the know?"_

Dextra's head hung at the words. "I'm sorry."

Percy calmly turned to face her again. "You're not, number one. You shouldn't be, number two-the truth is always better than harbored illusions. Speaking of such-thanks for the preview, because I plan to have Kite fall to me the same way, _with the same monster_. And at his end, I'll put him down with the same gesture he did my dad. Not for me, my father, my….mentor, or my flock. But because the world is done making people like me-starting now."

The deacon's right hand clamped around Dextra's weakly shaking head, blue and purple locks looping around his fingers like rivers. "So right now, I'm going to use this hand to wipe the slate clean. Instead of ripping memories from your memory I'm going to give you mine. You'll gonna think you were waiting here, all this time, for someone, and then you won. That you left afterward. That every encounter we had was just another faded memory until _your goals came true._ You'll never remember even meeting me-but I'll be just as much a nightmare to you, Nistro and Kite as he was to me. And when I'm through with him…I take away the scales from your eyes, and see how _you_ like having your sanctuary violated."

A solitary tear ran down Percy's face. "Sad thing is-I mean, what was all this for? A bunch of Xyzes? Was being at the top of Heartland not enough for you, and Nistro, and Kite? Apparently so. And yet here you sit, the fox trapped under the chicken coop. Do tell; _is this everything you wanted, Dextra?"_

As Dextra struggled to get out her newest words, Percy lowered the hand until it covered her mouth. "Sorry, wrong number. The deity you're trying to reach is _below_ your feet, not above."

Percy's hand glowed and Dextra's eyes went glassy, though her complexion did not change as Kite's had. Her struggles grew though, and as they started getting frantic, another hand came into existence – right on Percy's shoulder.

" _Stop,"_ came an ethereal whisper. Turning to face it in shock, Percy was met with the silvery skin and encircling wings of a white-haired being, its black eyes boring into his own. Whipping around to potentially ask Dextra who this person was, Percy's Midas Hand clutched around empty air. The scene before him was a sea of soft pebbled rock under his thin shoes, the floating shadow of a great castle just out of his line of sight in the chalk-white sky.

The winged being pushed a finger to his head, and memories began flooding into the deacon's mind-something of a great titanic struggle, the dis-anchoring of the castle above him into the void of space, a being unconscious atop its highest tower.

"Who are you?" Percy sputtered, the memory imparting over. "And what do you want? If you've come to _stop_ me-"

"Oh, perish the thought!" said the being. "Although you are doing it wrong, so I had to intervene."

"Intervene? On what?"

"You weren't doing it right. You were trying to wipe her memories, but you were doing it too intensely. You were hurting her, and if I hadn't stopped you, you could've killed her." Noticing his expression, she added, "Oh don't worry, she didn't get off scot-free. I know you wanted her memories gone, so I did it for you."

"Why?"

"Because I want to help you. And believe it or not, it's _not_ just me, Percy. There's a secret group of people who share your pain and who'd like to meet you. Would _you_ like to meet them?"

Percy folded his arms. "What's in it for me?"

The spirit paused. "I can't articulate it all at once," she admitted, "But if you don't like it, I'll bring you right back there, promise."

"And what makes you think I'll play ball? You whisked me from my city-"

"-one you said you were about to wreck for corrupting everyone-"

"-without my consent or compliance-"

"-want I should shoot Dextra the directions to your glass house there, sport-?"

"-and now demand I Duel again to-!" Percy stopped at once, his outstretched hand smacking against a glowing yellow barrier. "Wait! I'm guessing who you want me to meet is in that high castle, right? What gives with this obstruction to it? And who are you?"

Ehris chuckled. "Seriously, now I'm starting to see what they said about your good perception! Indeed, my name is Ehris, and I am the Goddess of Chaos!"

"Any relation to the one from the Greek myth?"

"Not too sure, but the people in Greece I visited long ago seem to think so!" Ehris chirped. "However, to go further into my home requires tribute, like the Greek worshippers of old. The first step to meet my friends-who are united in a common cause, much like you!-is to get past the Dueling lock on my Dystopia, as they did. Prepare yourself."

"…for what, exactly-SWEET SACCHARINE STARS!"

As he had spoken, Ehris twirled out a card, rested a golden apple on it that she produced from behind herself like a magician, and pushed a six-winged fairy with silver-gold armor into the coarse pebbles of the ground between them. Rushing to its feet in a flurry of limbs and feathers, the entity tried to speak, but no words came out.

"Don't worry about her-anything gets too complex, I translate for her,"the chaotic fairy explained.

"...okay, gonna need you to _not_ be treating people you can command like that as if they're tools. Had enough of seeing that in Heartland." Percy shuddered.

Ehris grinned again."Sure thing, handsome."

Percy flushed red. "I am not your _pin-up calendar_!"

"Oh c'mon sport, it's a joke. You'll need 'em when you're back in Heartland society. Now, Percy...your new challenge awaits."

Rigidly, the fairy beside Ehris tentatively extended an arm and a D-Pad with crescent curves sprouted on her arm. Percy gave her one last look, in somber realization of Ehris's power, before extending his D-Pad and starting the new chapter in his life anew. A titter spilled from Ehris's lips. "Play nice, sport-we've got cookies afterward, and I can't stand cold…well, anything."

Percy sighed. "And once I meet these people, you _sure_ I'll want to stay?"

Ehris shrugged.

"What I'm sure of is that you'll love it here… _Deacon_ Percy Shaddeus."

* * *

 **You know this story's continuing on from here-there's a lot of Aspect-started Duels in the present to conclude-but do let me know how this first foray into the past of one of the Aspect's members went.**

 **And to make up for lost chances before, I'm gonna be dropping links to the card bases each character's using from now on, with care given to specific ones from this chapter forward. Sorry for the link spamming...**

 **Devon Knox's Centauraffe : ****bdsceptyr/art/Centauraffe-780149140**

 **Viral Vector's new cards : ****bdsceptyr/gallery/?catpath= &edit=0&q=Viral**

 **...and Adventageous Allure:** **bdsceptyr/art/Adventageous-Allure-667764454**

 **Vetrix's new cards : bdsceptyr/gallery/?catpath=&edit=0&q=heraldry**

 **That new Luster of the Divine Dragon : bdsceptyr/art/Luster-of-the-Divine-Dragon-739226192**

 **Nistro's Heroic Champion-Aceleces : ****bdsceptyr/art/Heroic-Champion-Aceleces-750918397**

 **Dextra's new Butterfly/-spy Support : ****bdsceptyr/gallery/?catpath= &edit=0&q=butterspy**

 **Wingweaver, Emissary from the Sky : ****bdsceptyr/art/Wingweaver-Emissary-from-the-Sky-779847604**

 **Percy's Maedas Set (focus on Remembrance, Oletta, and Narnia) : ****bdsceptyr/gallery/60601538/The-Maedas**

… **Type-Rioter… : ****bdsceptyr/art/Type-Rioter-779609774**

… **Havenn the Harpsichord… : ****bdsceptyr/art/Havenn-the-Harpsichord-742912071**

… **Black-to-Back Wave… : ****bdsceptyr/art/Black-to-Back-Wave-780153865**

… **and finally, Hypnotic Fairy : ****bdsceptyr/art/Hypnotic-Fairy-626252740**

 **That should be all of them for this chapter; the others will be handled in the next chapter, Triple Play! D'Sceptre Inc., over and out.**


	7. Triple Play

**SIGNER TIMELINE/THE SATELLITTE/8:40 PM**

Worse yet than the looming titan named Vitro the Masked Marvel now eyeing his Red Dragon Archfiend like a particularly troubling horsefly, Jack Atlas finally knew the reason for its master's exasperated look that had lasted several turns. "You had this as backup the _entire time,_ didn't you?!"

The blond Signer's frantic inquiry was answered by Evy's hard-lipped smile. Drawing to her full height – with noted strain in her face as the Psychic bonds on Akiza's mouth wavered all the slightly – Evy replied. "Oh, y-you've got no idea. I'd like to thank you for making me remember the best part of beating Signers."

"And what should that be?!"

"Their dawning sense of realization as the walls cave in on them. That you're. Not. Untouchable." Evy's smile opened into a gate of gritted teeth. "And my only regret is that I'll be the _second_ member of Arcadia to show that to Akiza!"

Both Jack and Akiza paled at this, but for different reasons. "Akiza, this girl knows you from the Movement? Are you _sure_ they're gone!?"

Akiza struggled in her psychic bonds, trying to open her mouth so she could tell him that Arcadia was in fact gone and that she didn't know who this girl was, but the restraint the green-haired Psychic's Sage of Stillness had on her voice box held strong. "Don't strain your neck trying to get your words out, traitor," hissed Evy at the storm of mumbles collecting at the former Black Rose Witch's mouth. "Denying me the pleasure of wringing it will only make that a Jack Atlas problem later."

Akiza's eyes burned with rage at her venomous words. "Then continue your turn, if you think your Vitro's got the power to humble your King!" Jack yelled.

"It most certainly does, and its first special ability will guarantee it! Those metal diamonds you've no likely seen circling my colossus are Advent Counters, and once a turn I can give it two more to cut a thousand Attack Points from each of your monsters! Go, Marvelous Mark!"

Vitro's askew mask glowed with a sickly green light – and the hedrons circling around it multiplied to nine – as marks of the same color sprang upon Jack's twin Archfiends. **[R.D. Archfiend ATK: 3000 - 2000] [S.S. Archfiend ATK: 2500 -1500]**

Jack raised an eyebrow at this. Evy took no notice. "Since Vitro's seven-counter boost came from my discarded Terrai, the Torque Groundskeeper, however, it's the only monster that can attack this turn – which'll be one too many for your Red Dragon to handle! Vitro, take that dragon down!"

Raising its silver sword at the weakened Synchro Monster, Vitro started charging… only to crash face-first of a glowing wall of glass-like light. "What gives?!"

"You mean besides your monster's lame attack?" Jack quipped. "I knew that throwing out fodder for your Torque monsters on the field was meant for something you were going to use to destroy my Red Dragon Archfiend, and my ' **Red Screen'** Trap Card will keep it alive!" Continuous Trap now active, he looked up at his cursed Synchro Monsters. "And since that was your only attack this turn…"

"…that means my turn is over," Evy's smile finally rose again. "But not before I banish my 'Survival of the Swiftest' Spell Card from my Graveyard to add another 'Torque' Spell Card from my Deck to my hand! I'll choose ' **Torque Stratoscouting** ' for this purpose, then Set 1 card and end my turn!"

Jack had only gotten a glimpse of Torque Stratoscouting, but he had his own way of forcing the issue. He drew for his turn and said, "I activate 'Scarlet Security' to destroy every Spell and Trap Card you control!"

" _What?!_ " uttered Evy, taken aback as Jack's confidence grew in the face of the paladin's shock. "Did you think I only relied on my monsters for destruction? Hardly! Now let's see how powerful your Torque is without your Torquia and your Stratoscouting!"

"I'll activate Stratoscouting in response, then!" retorted Evy, to which the Quick-Play Spell Card flipped up immediately, even while the whipping heat of Scarlet Security started ripping apart the emerald tower behind her. "Now I look through the top five cards of my Deck, and I can shuffle Spell and Trap Cards from _your_ field into the Deck for each Wind monster I reveal!" Showing her five revealed cards, a slight twitch flashed across the Psychic's face from her continuing strain on her powers – and at the solitary monster among them. "It's enough – say goodbye to your Red Screen!"

Jack's Continuous Trap was gusted into the Deck as Evy's magnificent Torquia finally crumbled into flaming ruin. "And thanks to my ' **Cecily Machtenn, the Torque Commandant** ' returning back to the Deck, I can make your Supercharged Skull Archfiend's power even _more_ laughable!"

The powerful magic of the Psychic Torque monster would surge into the Synchro Monster's bones, switching its already weakened Attack Points with its even lower Defense Points **. [S.S. Archfiend ATK/DEF: 1500/1200 -1200/1500]** Jack, however, was far from done. "Fine by me – after all, the activation of 'Scarlet Security' gives my Skull Archfiend another thousand Attack Points for the turn!" **[S.S. Archfiend ATK: 1200 - 2200]** The Skull Archfiend's roar of triumph matched the look on his face perfectly. "And even though your Vitro's Attack Points are higher, the rest of your frontline is mine! Supercharged Skull Archfiend, take out that prima donna's Donna Fairbreeze with your **Supercharged Shock Treatment**!"

Donna was soon engulfed in a cone of blistering bolts, and her cries were cut short by her shattering into pieces. **[Evy's LP: 3400 - 2700]** Ignoring the glowing lines of several parts of Evy's silver armor fading to black from the assault, Jack looked to his ace. "Now Red Dragon Archfiend, it's time Ariana saw your strength! Attack with Absolute Powerforce!"

Ariana quickly joined Donna in Evy's Graveyard, her scowl and lowered stance a testament to the Red Dragon Archfiend's forceful blow. **[Evy's LP: 2700 - 2200]** "Now I'll activate ' **Cards of Inner Reflection** ' to banish the 'Force Resonator' from my Graveyard to draw two cards and discard one!" Discarding 'Vice Berserker' from the last turn, Jack then eyed his newly-gained Normal Spell Card. "Next I'll activate ' **Resonator Call'**! I'll use it to add 'Corona Resonator' from my Deck to my hand, then Normal Summon it to the field! Now, since it was Summoned this way, it loses a Level, but gains five hundred Attack Points, and so does any Synchro Monster I make using it!" His newest red-eyed fiend popped up on the field, its body framed by a fan-shaped web of metal adorned with silver musical notes, and a blue crescent adorning its robes. **[LIGHT/Fiend/Tuner/Level 3-2/900 - 1400 ATK/300 DEF]** "And that Level shift will make it perfect fodder for my new grand Synchro Monster."

Both Evy and Akiza stared dumbfounded at Jack at this, but only the green-haired Psychic would respond. "You mean you've got a way to make that wretched dragon even _more_ powerful?"

"Try not to sound _too_ defeated, Evy, because once I tune my Level Eight Red Dragon Archfiend and my Level Two Corona Resonator…" Both monsters aligned together and were swallowed up by a vertical column of light that soon became thick with flames and ash. "…defeating you will be my ' _ **RED RISING ARCHFIEND'S**_ _' JOB!"_

Cinders gave way and light ebbed to reveal the Level Ten behemoth, its similar visage to the Red Dragon Archfiend's armor only eclipsed by the pair of red-and-black swords it quickly leveled at Vitro's head. Immediately, Corona Resonator's power surged through its form. **[DARK/Fiend/Synchro/Level 10 - 9/3500 - 4000 ATK/2500 DEF]** "Thanks to its Synchro Summon, Red Dragon Archfiend makes a comeback as well – all three thousand points of him!" With that, the revitalized dragon stormed out to join its fiendish brethren, back at full power."And through Red Rising Archfiend's latent ability, no other monster with twenty-five hundred or more Attack Points can touch it with their abilities, so Red Dragon Archfiend will not be destroying it today! Now I Set one card to end the turn – and since I am, allow me to properly pay you back for your venom!"

Red Rising Archfiend then sheathed one of its swords, jutted out one of its fists toward the green-haired Psychic, palm-up, and all of its outstretched fingers curled in, giving Evy a double deuce the likes of which no one had ever seen before. Akiza's mouth fell open. _Did Jack's Archfiend just give Evy the finger?!_

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Evy's visor was the only thing keeping Jack from seeing the full extent of her rage. "And just in case you thought I couldn't see that because I was blind…" Both of Evy's longest fingers went up to mirror Red Rising Archfiend's. "Arcadia tech says hi." Drawing immediately, Evy turned to her nearly-bare field. "Now I activate Vitro's ultimate ability! By removing seven of its Advent Counters, it lets me bring out three monsters from my Deck to bring YOUR Archfiends to heel!"

With a vicious sweep of its sword, Vitro impaled the ground with its blade, and the green rift that it brought forth dissipated to reveal ' **Archendo, the Torque Mythic'** , ' **Makiu, the Torque Shield'** , and 'Cecily Machtenn, the Torque Commandant'. **[Cecily/WIND/Warrior/Level 3/600 ATK/2000 DEF] [Makiu/WIND/Spectre/Level 3/1050 ATK/2000 DEF] [Archendo/WIND/Beast-Warrior/Tuner/Level 3/1300 ATK/1400 DEF]** "Thanks to Summoning another Spectre-Type monster in Makiu, I can draw another card!" Two cards now in hand, Evy forcefully clasped her hands together in glee. "And I think you know what's coming next."

Akiza's eyes widened, both in fear of the likely debut of the Torque Triumvirate and of a new way to bypass the Sage of Silence's vocal stranglehold. Whipping out a tube of lipstick, the ex-Black Rose Witch scribbled a message on the rim of her Duel Disk, and then stamped her foot on the ground loudly enough to get Jack's attention. The eyes of the blond boy saw the words on Akiza's Disk - IT'S JARIN, DYNAS, AND HOI – IF SHE SUCCEEDS, SHE'LL WIN."Wait, you've seen it before?!" Jack spluttered. "Tell me what it does, and quickly. We don't have much time!"

Akiza readied her lipstick tube for another spoiler, but Evy was faster. "What did I say about pissing me off, Black Rose BITCH?!" And with a sweep of her other hand from her pocket, another monster was laid on the floor, the revealed 'Sage of Stillness' now materializing to life and raising his staff as well. Immediately, Akiza was frozen to the spot, her eyes darting around wildly. "Let her go, NOW!" roared Jack. Evy took no notice, what with the shocks coming from her armor. "W-when I'm through with you, J-Jack. Since she's such a b-blabbermouth, time for a change in p-p-plans! I tune my Level Three trio of Cecily, Ma-Makiu, and the Tuner Archendo…"

A second later, the luminescent column consumed the three Torque monsters. "…to Synchro Summon my mighty ' **Urarious, the Torque Legend** '!" Finally, the mighty WIND chimera emerged from the array, taking point alongside the Masked Marvel and the Torque Enforcer. **[WIND/Beast/Synchro/Level 9/2800 ATK/2950 DEF]** "Now with this on board, I shuffle my ' **Glade and Grove, the Torque Tandem** ' from my hand into the Deck, to Summon another Torque duo from my Graveyard: 'Chao and Stride, the Torque Pacesetters'!"

This time, the horse-cavalry duo pushed forth onto the field, prowling the turf like the Satellite was their yard. **[WIND/Beast-Warrior/Tuner/Level 4/1900 ATK/1100 DEF] "** And since I have, Urarious's Pride of the Swiftest ability will strengthen every Torque monster I have by three hundred Attack and Defense Points for each of your monsters!"

Urarious, Alin, and Chao and Stride all raised their head to the blackened skies, their intermingling bellows belaying their power **. [Urarious ATK/DEF: 2800/2950 - 3700/3850] [Alin ATK/DEF: 1800/0 - 2700/900] [Chao & Stride ATK/DEF: 1900/1100 - 2800/2000] **Evy bit back another grunt of pain, then continued **. "** Now, with Vitro to help me cut your monsters down to size with its Marvelous Mark again, I can permanently dethrone a King tonight!" **[Vitro Counters: 1- 3] [Red Dragon Archfiend ATK: 3000 - 2000] [S.S. Archfiend ATK: 1200 - 200]**

Jack tensed. _I know I can beat back this attack, but it'll have to be in a specific order or I might not have the Life Points to survive this! Come on, take the bait…_

"Now Urarious, destroy that Supercharged Skull Archfiend and hand me my victory!"

 _Perfect!_ Jack tapped another button on his Duel Disk. "I activate ' **Changing Destiny'**! With this Trap Card's power, I can change Urarious to Defense Mode, and that's where it'll stay while it remains on the field! Then you choose whether to inflict damage to me or gain Life Points equal to half of that monster's Attack Points! Make your choice, Evy!"

"Clever, but I know that other Set card's Crimson Fire, and you'll plan to reverse that damage anyways! So I'll gain myself eighteen hundred and fifty Life Points!" **[Evy's LP: 2200 - 4050]** "I guess destroying Supercharged Skull will be Alin's duty then! Strike with your **Torque Shredder**!"

One swipe of the gigantic war ax that the Torque Enforcer wielded and the skeletal Synchro of Jack's was lost in the wind **. [Jack's LP: 4000 - 1500]**

Jack tumbled back almost a foot – and almost into the path of Trudge's motorcycle. "Whoa, now! I'll help you up – but do you mind telling me who you're Dueling now?" Trudge's gaze then moved left. "And why Akiza looks like she's seen a – AND WHY THAT GHOST IS THE SIZE OF A SKYSCRAPER?!"

"It's hers," Jack explained, nodding towards Evy."She's Psychic _and_ psycho, and the sooner we free Akiza from her the better!" He staggered back to his spot in front of Evy. "And when I'm done with that, I'm gonna find out what her group's doing here and why they need an Advent Monster that big to do it!"

Ignoring Trudge's inquiry about what an Advent Monster was, Evy turned to her horseback monster. "Chao and Stride, Jack seems to not know, or care, about when he's beaten. Take down his Synchro – _again_ – and refresh his memory."

One Double-Edge Dash attack later, and Jack was sent sliding back once more, though his feet remained on solid ground this time. **[Jack's LP: 1500 - 700]** "Now I end my turn by tuning my Level Four Torque Pacesetters and Enforcer to create the Level Eight ' **Miranda Cleartear, the Torque Reignholder** '!"

This time, the speedometer rings and light pillars brought forth a majestic dragon-like figure, holding a staff as long as the Masked Marvel was tall. **[WIND/Fairy/Synchro/2400 ATK/2400 DEF]** _Wait, with the power those two Torque monsters had, why'd she give them up for one weaker than both?_ Jack pursed his lips, deep in thought. _It's her last bluff, and I have the perfect way to call it now._ "Hey, Trudge!" he snapped.

The beginnings of a snarl drew its way across Trudge's face, but Jack's next words set his mind at ease. "The second I start in with my Red Rising Archfiend next turn, grab Akiza and get out of here! I'll be right behind you, but I'm not risking her getting hurt by this chick any more than she already has!"

"A pity you're not saving yourself, crownless," sneered Evy as she stood up again, making as much of an effort as much as her shorting armor would allow her. "I Set one card f-face-down and end m-my turn. Your move."

Jack drew, then focused his eyes on Evy. "Y'know, it's actually not often that someone forces me towards all these new strategies! So for this last turn, I'll allow you the privilege of going down to a third-time charm! I activate **'Return of the Dragon Lords'** to bring back my Red Dragon Archfiend so we can kick this Duel into overdrive!"

The power of the Normal Spell Card brought forth a blinding cloud of sparkles. An instant later, the shimmering shroud gave way to reveal the mighty Dragon-Type Synchro Monster."Almighty, those Archfiends of yours are like a bad rash!" hissed Evy as she gave a cursory glance at her face-down card.

"And now, I'll use my ' **Red Cocoon** ' to give my Red Dragon Archfiend some proper protection!" Normal Trap Card in play, Jack pointed at Miranda. "Take out that pretender with Absolute Powerforce!"

Red Dragon Archfiend's glowing right claw grew in intensity to the point of almost blinding both duelists and their two witnesses. Without wasting any more time, it charged at the Fairy-Type Synchro Monster.

But Evy had other plans. "And now, my Torque Reignholder will make you regret it! Thanks to its **Swift Takeover** power, I can destroy any monster with a different Attribute than it, then take its Attribute as its own!"

"It _would,_ if not for my Return of the Dragon Lords' ability to take the blow! I can remove it from the game to prevent Red Dragon Archfiend's destruction!" Jack retorted.

"But what will save you from my ' **Retrospectre** ' Trap Card?" At Evy's words, her Normal Trap Card sprang to life. "It can be used to replace my Miranda Cleartear with another Spectre-Type monster from my hand or Graveyard – like my ' **Terrai, the Torque Groundskeeper** '! And thanks to Urarious, even though it's in Defense Mode, both it and my Terrai will get even more powerful!"

Urarious growled in compliance – then pain, as the shocking red lightning from Red Dragon Archfiend's new plating sent it to its haunches. "Good luck with that happening!" Jack yelled. "Red Cocoon negates every monster effect of yours upon the equipped monster's attack, including your Torque Legend! But thank you anyway, for giving my Red Dragon Archfiend another target!" With Red Dragon Archfiend's claw tearing through it, Terrai was destroyed as soon as it debuted. "And let's not forget, its destruction will take every monster you've got with it that's in Defense Mode!"

"Like my Urarious…" Evy's voice was low and thick with disbelief as her powerful Synchro Monster finally cried its last, consumed in the wake of the Archfiend's inferno. "Now that that eyesore's off the map, it's time your Advent Monster joined it! Red Rising Archfiend, attack with **Absolute Powerslash**!"

On command, the Fiend-Type Synchro Monster took both swords and struck Vitro, its weapons slicing clear through Vitro's sword, mask, and body in one fluid motion. **[Evy's LP: 4050 - 2950]** Evy, in the throes of another furious attack, reached for her wildly sparking Vitro card as its visage shattered apart above her. Looking bleakly on the smoking card of the Advent Monster, the Psychic paladin stashed it within her pants pocket and turned back to Jack. But before she could utter another word, Red Rising Archfiend summoned two speedometer rings around itself that soon burned white-hot. "And for yet _another_ of Red Rising's parting gifts, it can hit you for five hundred points of damage for each Tuner in both our Graveyards! That's three in my Graveyard-"

"-and two in Evy's!"

Jack and Trudge both whipped their heads around to face the now-freed but otherwise stock-still Akiza Izinski, the return of her voice music to their ears. "Don't worry, I'm at a loss too! But if your attacks got her powers to wane, maybe this can finish it!"

Jack nodded, then turned back to the panicking Evy, looking at the Sage of Silence that now no longer seemed to hold the red-haired Psychic's tongue. "Hear that? That's what the walls caving in sounds like! Now, Red Rising Archfiend, unleash your **Crimson Backlash**!"

Both glowing speedometer rings propelled out and cut through the green-haired Psychic, sending her flying back in an explosion that soon eclipsed her from view. Trudge pumped his gloved fists upward in celebration. "Finally, Jack! You've managed to do it again!"

"Not… quite sure he did…" Akiza barely managed to say. Sure enough, Evy staggered out of that cloak of dust, a look of utter rage twisting her face. **[Evy's LP: 2950 - 450]** "Y… you think I've lost now?! I'm the last of Arcadia, and I'll see you go down before it does! And as soon as my… my turn _begins_ …"

Unbeknownst to Evy, her Duel Disk-holding arm, still limp at her side, was emitting a strange glow. Only Akiza and Trudge noticed the omen, and only the Sector Security officer could properly respond. "Hey Akiza, is that supposed to be something Psychic Duelists do!?"

"No, it's not. That only happened before…" Akiza's mind scrambled for an answer, but Jack was not waiting for it."Between these Archfiends of mine, you've got nothing in your Deck to help you! And the second I win, you'll see that all your efforts to beat me aren't worth-"

"JACK, LOOK OUT! SHE'S ABOUT TO BURST!"

The blond's head slowly turned to meet Akiza. "Would say that's already happened several turns ago, but I'm not scared of a little temper tant-"

"It has _nothing_ to do with that!" Akiza's pupils were shrinking, and not just from the strain of having to close and open them. "It's called a Psychic Burst, and it only happens when we exert too much power all at once!" Mustering her strength, she called out to Evy."Evy, stop the Duel, you're in danger!"

"NO!" Evy's voice cracked from the force of her lungs straining. "Danger reached _my_ shores the second I decided you were my friend! And then you rewarded it by bringing down the building that MADE YOU on us all! Now shut up and STAY DO-."

 _BZZT!_

Suddenly sparks shot out from Evy's pocket and constricted around her body, causing her threat to end in a heart-piercing shriek of torment. Akiza instantly fell forward, the Sage of Stillness's spell as broken as Evy's body was becoming. "W-what's _happening_ to m-me?!" the green-haired Duelist yelled.

Trudge reached out to help Akiza up. "Don't tell me _this_ is the Psychic Burst!"

"I've never seen any like this – I think her tech's malfunctioned!" Akiza. "Jack, we have to save her! I know what she's done to me, but _no one deserves this!"_

"…arrrgh! Bleeding hearts of the world, unite!" replied Jack as he stepped forward, only to be sent staggering sideways from the glowing fury of the bolts now reaching to the sky. Out of this, however, a fifth voice rang out from Evy's Duel Disk. _"EVY! EVY, COME IN! WHAT'S HAPPENING?! I can't move to your location!"_

"Who's THIS, now?!" yelled Jack. It could barely be heard above the tortured chorus of "Makeitstop _makeitstop!"_ , as Evy desperately ripped off her visor, her eyes revealing the blank, milky hue that confirmed her blindness.

" _I'm finding Viral and Ehris! We're getting you out of there! Hold on_!" The radio in Evy's Duel Disk went silent – a mercy she could not share, as a bolt blew out from her convulsing body and snaked its way toward Jack.

Before it could connect, a pair of hands pushed the blond out of the way. "TRUDGE, _NO_!" But Akiza's cry came too late. The head of Sector Security was caught in the bolt, and in a flash, both he and Evy disappeared, the storm dying down following their sudden exit. Both Jack and Akiza stared in numbed shock at the area that had once been a party to literally _and_ figuratively the most charged Duel in both their lives.

Another lance of light cut their ruminations short, one on the highway near the half-finished Daedalus Bridge. "If that's Yusei…!" Jack didn't dare consider that dreaded possibility further. He rushed to Akiza's side as the redhead studied the Sages and visor left on the ground by Evy and Trudge's disappearance, and guided her back to his Duel Runner by the arm as the two of them clambered into it. "We can worry about Trudge later, Akiza! If what's happened to him and Evy is happening to Yusei, we have to save him _now_! Hold on!"

With a gunning of engines, Jack's tires spun manically as he and Akiza sped off towards the anomaly. Soon after, Akiza spoke up.

"You know, it's been about two hours since I met that girl, and I _still_ don't know…"

* * *

 **NUMBER TIMELINE/ASTRAL WORLD/?**

"What in the name…"

"...of all thing sacred…."

"…IS THAT GIANT THING?!"

As new monsters appeared in front of Mizar's eyes, a chorus of cries sprang up from his own compatriots – specifically, Dumon, Alito, and Girag. Thanks to the latter's help, the three of them had finally scaled the tower separating him, Percy, and the emerging Advent Monster. Needless to say, they were looking to keep their distance from the cybernetic paladin looming over Percy's head."Seems your troupe is just in time," he remarked, looking directly at the stock-still Mizar. "You know, it'd be a real shame if they saw my monster end you. If you want, I'll let you surrender now and spare them the trauma."Mizar blankly stared back at him, then scowled. "The answer is no!" he said firmly."Now tell me what that monstrosity is!"

"Oh, this?" And suddenly, the prophet's eyes turned toward his Android. "It's the newest form of the Airknight Parshath, given new life through the power of the Advent! And good luck overpowering it though combat – no battle will destroy it! The real benefit of this card, however, is in why I devoted three cards to make it."

"That'd be nice to hear…" said Vector, folding his arms.

"Well then," said Percy, "Just look upon its three hedrons!" He pointed to where a trio of diamond-like structures circled beneath the Android within a golden circle of light that flickered in and out of existence. "Those are Advent Counters, and my Parshath gained one for each card used for its Advent Summon. Much like Overlay Units, they serve to magnify my monster's power! But unlike any Xyz Monsters you could Summon..."

And with a pop, two more glowing hedrons sprang up to orbit Android Knight Parshath, bringing its total to five. "…my monster can gain more thanks to its special ability, which also allows me to declare a card type – like say, monsters – and immunize it from the effects of other cards with that type for this turn and the next! It also lets me draw a card to continue my crusade…"

With this, Percy drew. "And that draw gave me the Spell Card ' **Remembrance** ', which lets me put a Spellcaster-Type 'Maedas' monster from my Deck into my Graveyard to add a Fairy-Type 'Maedas' monster from the Deck to my hand! So 'Neron, Reverend of Maedas' will provide the sacrifice for my 'Saint Oletta, Blightspotter of Maedas' to come to my hand!"

"What's that all for then?" Dumon pondered. "He already made his Normal Summon for the turn, so wouldn't this have been better used on his next turn with a new card?"

"Glad you asked cur, because thanks to the fact the total Levels of the Fairy-Type Light monsters I control is exactly six, my Neron can come out from the Graveyard in Attack Mode to bolster my forces!" With another flash of light, the shield-bearing redhead took point next to Percy's Advent Monster. **[Neron/LIGHT/Fairy/Level 6/1100 ATK/2600 DEF]** "Oh, by the way – Neron has a terrain-changing ability as well! Now watch as she makes the Zone beneath her a Charge Zone!" And with that, a symbol representing a golden lightning bolt jutted out behind her form. "With that, I end my turn!"

"Finally!" Mizar drew once more, gave another look to the still-struggling Kite, and then continued his turn apace with four cards in hand. "First off, since I control a Dragon-Type Dark monster, I can bring forth another of my new Neutrino monsters – ' **Neutrino Clipper** ', in Defense Mode!"

Another red flash came forth from a red X being slashed out in thin air in front of him, before splitting open to reveal a red-haired warrior that matched Neron in height and armor. **[Clipper/DARK/Warrior/Level 2/200 ATK/2200 DEF]** "Thanks to Neutrino Clipper's Special Summon, it gains two Levels, becomes a Dragon-Type monster itself, and affords me the special ability to let me use any 'Neutrino' Spell or Trap Card in my hand during either turn!" Mizar smiled. "But right now, you've got bigger problems afoot. See, you've endangered my rival _and_ insulted the Galaxy-Eyes lineage, so now it's time I repay those in kind! I Set one monster on my field, then reveal the 'Galaxy-Eyes Neutrino Dragon' in my hand to flip up that Set monster with its special ability. Behold, ' **Galaxy-Eyes Asteroidragon** '!" A dwarf-like dragon popped up, its silver skin and bright innocent eyes a betrayal to its true potential. **[Asteroidragon/DARK/Dragon/Level 1/300 ATK/250 DEF]**

At this point, it was impossible between Mizar and Percy to see which of their eyes showed more rage. The former would continue his turn without taking his eyes off the latter, which would make his moves all the more trained.

"Galaxy-Eyes... _what_ now?!" The splutter finally broke Mizar's focus back to Kite.

"Morning, Kite," Mizar teased, finally turning to see Kite propped up by Orbital 7 forming around him. "But yes, sadly, I had to use my new cards against someone else. See, I've been putting them together since our last encounter. I was _hoping_ to debut my new Galaxy-Eyes dragon against _you_ …" Mizar turned back to face Percy. "… but perhaps it making an example of this whelp will prove to you how strong it is."

"Don't count on it," Percy snorted. "Remember, Parshath can't be destroyed by battle _or_ monster effects, so you've got no way to bring it down!"

"Who said _Parshath_ was my target?" Mizar smirked at the news. "My Asteroidragon will ensure I have all the tools I need to put down everything else! See, its Flip ability allows me to storm the field with a Level Eight Dragon-Type monster from my Deck, like my ' **Darkstorm Dragon** '!"

The sweeping, pitch-black tornadoes that sprang onto Mizar's field provided a dust-choked backdrop to the giant dragon now weaving its way above the Astral tower. **[Darkstorm/DARK/Dragon/Level 8/2700 - 0 ATK/2500 DEF]** "Of course, Asteroidragon's ability keeps my Darkstorm Dragon's Attack Points at zero, but that's not going to matter pretty soon – because my Neutrino Clipper's third ability activates, allowing me to Special Summon a Dark Xyz Monster to your field and a 'Neutrino' monster from my Deck to mine, so long as one's Rank and the other's Level are one and the same! So it looks like you'll be getting an early glimpse of ' **Galaxy Stealth Dragon** '…" A red hue fell over the battlefield as the black and gold dragon unfolded from the symbol high above both Duelists. **[Galaxy Stealth/DARK/Dragon/Rank 6/2000 ATK/1600 DEF]** "…while I Summon ' **Neutrino Dirac** ' to my field in Attack Mode!"

To meet the Xyz Monster's arrival, a colossal beast with silver armor and a giant faceplate mask crawled out of a rift behind the Astral tower, scaling it with disturbing speed and nearly sending Alito into cardiac when it reached the top where they were. **[Dirac/DARK/Dragon/Level 6/2000 ATK/2400 DEF]** "Dirac's arrival will allow me to draw another card! What's more, since I activated the effect of a 'Neutrino' card this turn, its latent power jumps its Level to Eight as well! But it'll be my Heliosphere and Darkstorm Dragons that I use to build the Overlay Network, thanks to Heliosphere's ability to double its Level while I control a Level Eight Dragon-Type monster!"

As the nebula cloud formed once again, both dragons turned into comets of light and swam into the cavity in the center of the Network before it exploded with light. "I call on the power of the Glorious Seven, unchained from our former master, to bring forth my great beast – a cosmic force you have never witnessed before and will _never scorn again_! Come forth, _'_ _ **Number One Hundred and Seven: GALAXY-EYES TACHYON DRAGON**_ _'_!"

A giant purple pyramid-shaped symbol descended from the sky and unfolded into a mechanical dragon, its cybernetic cry nearly shattering the eardrums of Girag as it posed in its magnificent glory. **[Number 107/LIGHT/Dragon/Xyz/Rank 8/3000 ATK/2500 DEF].** Percy's eyes narrowed into pinpricks upon its presence. "So this is the breed of dragons my enemy used to card away my flock. It'd be fascinating if it weren't tainted by the likes of you."

"After what you've done to Kite for the relative little he's done to you, you are _not_ one to talk!" Mizar shot back, indignant.

Percy just snorted. "Small words from a smaller man. But my Neron will endure anyway, as the Charge Zone it's in gives it a thousand extra Attack Points while you control a Special Summoned monster! And the natural power of my Maedas monsters prevents their effects from being negated by other monsters' effects!"

"Don't worry then, my Tachyon Dragon's special ability will put its power back down again – go, **'Tachyon Transmigration'**!" As Tachyon Dragon's reverted into its sealed form once more, lightning lashed and paralyzed Neron and Dragulas. "This will neutralize Dragulas's abilities, and since your Neron activated its ability, my Galaxy-Eyes monster will gain an edge of its own – one thousand Attack Points for the rest of this turn _and_ another attack!"

As Percy's face paled, Mizar's grin grew alongside his Tachyon Dragon's power. **[Tachyon Dragon ATK: 3000 -4000]** "Now my Galaxy-Eyes, burn away Percy's ill-gained Xyz Monster with your ' **Tachyon Stream of Destruction** '!"

One blast of purple light later, and Galaxy Stealth Dragon was dust in Mizar's Graveyard. **(Percy's Life Points 1800)**. Percy, however, was undeterred by the onslaught. "A pity. I discard **Saint Oletta, the Blightspotter of Maedas** in conjunction with Dragulas's destruction to end the Battle Phase, and any further assault your dragon could make!"

"Fine by me, your Life Points are in shoddy enough shape. I Set one card and end my turn!" Mizar grinned. _With Tachyon Dragon, Neutrino Clipper, and Neutrino Dirac bolstering my forces, and two cards still in my hand, this field would spell the end for any opponent who dares to face me!_

But Percy's grin as he drew his next card, however, belied how nontypical a foe he was. "Seems I'll get to end the Galaxy-Eyes line sooner than I thought! First, I'll re-use Android Knight Parshath's ability to give it another two Advent Counters, draw a card, _and_ give it monster effect immunity for another two turns!"

The Advent Counters circling the Fairy-Type Advent Monster grew to seven. "Now to put those counters to use! See, not only can I put them on my Advent Monsters, but I can also take them _away,_ to fuel even _more_ effects! Like the six I'm taking off my Android Knight for its ultimate ability, which lets me draw another two cards as well as give Parshath five hundred Attack Points for each monster you control! I count three, how about you?"

Mizar's face fell as six of Parshath's hedrons disappeared and its Attack Points rose to eventually exceed those of his Number. **[Parshath's ATK: 2100 - 3600]** "That Android Knight will not be alone, however! Now that I've taken advantage of your field, it's time to thin it! I activate my – no, OUR – glorious Field Spell, called ' **Our City of Enlightenment, Maedas** '!"

A glorious palace sprang to life behind the prophet, nearly eclipsing the Astral tower in its size and radiance. "And since it's on the field, so too will my Level Six " **Saint Azriel, Euphoria of Maedas** ' in my hand be, thanks to its special ability!"

An angel with an elaborate shield depicting an arched golden cherub came up next to the Android Knight and Neron. **[St. Azriel/Fairy/LIGHT/2200 ATK/2200 DEF]** "Two Level Six monsters? That means…" The words failed on Girag's lips, only to come to life on Percy's. "Correct, corrupt one! Now I'll build the Overlay Network with my Level Six Saint Azriel and Neron!" Again, the nebula rift opened above both Duelists, sucking in the twin heralds as streaks of golden light before imploding."It's time to bring some glory to this Duel! I won't give in, and neither will my Rank Six ' **Desaugeo, Sacred Serpent of Maedas** '!"

A gigantic white dragon with golden horns took perch on the edge of the building holding Percy and the former Barians, its glare not wavering from Neutrino Dirac. **[Desaugeo/LIGHT/Dragon/Rank 6/2900 ATK/1900 DEF]** "Well now it's a contest, isn't it?" Mizar remarked, noting their monsters' equal strengths.

"Yes, quite." Percy's grin finally faded. "A shame that _your_ monster has to fall so that other Duelists can know peace." Thrusting his arm forward, he went on."I activate Desaugeo's ability! Upon being Summoned, it allows me to turn five other Zones on the field into Strike Zones!" As foretold, the same horns atop the Sacred Serpent's head sprouted on each side of every one of Mizar's Monster Zones save for Tachyon Dragon's and the Spell & Trap Zone that held his Set card. _For what_ , was Mizar's next intended request. "Missing my Tachyon Dragon on purpose? It seems you wish to save him for your oversized robot."

"I'll remember that, Mizar – especially when Desaugeo takes out everything around your Dragon! See, I can use one of its Overlay Units to destroy every card in the Strike Zones! Go, **Sacred Shinedown**!"

With a roar to match its size, Desaugeo lowered its head and let out a thick shower of sparkling gold from its maw – one that would soon turn into a barrage of razor-sharp spikes careening for Mizar's cards. Or at least they would have, had a barrier not sprang into life between the two Neutrino monsters and the fatal storm of shrapnel crashing upon them. "What gives?!" yelled Percy.

"Thanks to you bringing an Xyz Monster on the field," explained Mizar, "I can use an Overlay Unit from my Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon to activate the ' **Neutrino Dowsing** ' Trap Card from my hand, thanks to my Clipper! Now by sending a Normal Spell Card from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can replicate its effect! And the card I chose is ' **Stand-Off** '!"

"Huh. Mind sheddin' a little light as to why the doomsayer's going mute?" Alito asked of Dumon.

"Simply put," answered Dumon, adjusting his glasses, "It makes Percy's Sacred Serpent useless. Stand-Off takes two monsters on the field, negates their effects, then prevents them from being destroyed by battle, attacking, changing their Battle Positions or benefitting from other card effects! If Mizar picked correctly, then his targets should be..."

"…your Desaugeo and my Neutrino Dirac!" Mizar finished as the Xyz Monster and the Level Six Neutrino monster were suddenly surrounded by fields of electricity arcing between them. "Very interesting," Dumon continued. "One would think to make Tachyon Dragon one of the targets of Stand-Off. After all, Android Knight Parshath looks ready to destroy it, and this effect would have protected it."

"He's got something planned," said a voice."I know he does."

Dumon turned around to see Vector right behind him. "Two other things might need to be addressed too. The first is that Kite – who's still _very_ unconscious, by the way – hasn't been taken out of danger, despite you guys having several minutes to do so."

Alito nearly choked on his own saliva at the revelation. "W-wait, you're right! Girag, the second the attack breaks, you an' I are going in!" Girag nodded furiously in response.

"And the second, Vector?" Dumon curiously asked. Vector shrugged. "Depends on what Mizar does now. You're right, Stand-Off coulda saved Tachyon Dragon – we've gotta see _how_ important that Set card was that Mizar used his best Neutrino Trap to keep it in play." He turned to Dumon, shocking the white-haired youth with his serious look. "And speaking of fire, I'm sure the back of my neck's _warm enough_ without you trying to laser holes in it."

"I've not forgotten what happened the last time I had my guard down around you," Dumon simply replied, turning his eyes away from his orange-haired ally. "But since Marin and Nash's reactions to you imply you've changed…"

"What _changed_ is that I'm not being manipulated anymore!" said Vector as his eyes turned down. "Look, I get it, I wronged you guys. I've articulated how much I regret that and how sorry I am a thousand times. But I'm also tired of you guys using that as a reason to keep me in order! Every time I offer to do something to redeem myself, you guys shoot me down like you don't _want_ me to, like you'd much rather keep me in the doghouse and rub my misdeeds in my face than give me a chance to do something to make it up to you, and _sometimes_ I think you have no intention of ever letting me out! And while that may not be _as_ bad as what I did, it's _still_ pretty bad!"

"It's not like that-" Dumon began before Vector cut him off. "Then what _is_ it like?" the orange-haired youth demanded to know. Dumon readjusted his glasses and resumed speaking… only for nothing to come out as he realized Vector was exactly right.

"Y'know guys, he's kinda right," said Girag. "I mean, I'd feel pretty mad if you kept _me_ on a leash like that with no plan of lettin' me off. And besides, it's not like any of _us_ know what's goin' on. I say give him a chance."

"Same," said Alito. "I'd rather err on trusting him again than putting him through something like that anyway."

Vector exchanged looks with his fellow comrades-in-arms, the gratitude in his eyes so apparent that no way of articulating it could do it justice. "Thank you," he said softly before turning to Dumon. "Well?" he asked. Dumon looked between Alito and Girag before finally turning back to face Vector. "That's not how this works," he said.

"What the heck?!" burst out Vector. "I've been working my _ass_ off trying to get back into your good graces! I don't understand why you keep me on a leash like this! Just let me help so I can atone already!"

"It's great that you're eager to atoneVector, but there's something you're not understanding," said Dumon, his body tense."You do _not_ get to decide when and how your debt is paid. That's the whole point of you being in our bad books to begin with; if you could decide when you've atoned, you wouldn't be in the doghouse for very long, would you?"

Vector took awhile to register Dumon's profound question. "But still, it's obvious from how you treat me that you've no intention of forgiving me Dumon, and I don't get it. Nash has forgiven me, Mizar's forgiven me, Marin's forgiven me, and so have these two. You're the only one who holds out, so what gives? Are you eventually gonna forgive me or not?"

"I don't know," replied Dumon, holding up a hand to silence Vector, Alito, and Girag's protests. "I can't forgive you just because everyone else has, Vector. I just can't. What you did was unconscionable. While we were Barians I could tell by looking at you that you would've done it even without Don Thousand messing with you. And if I just forgave you because everyone pressured me to, it would be insincere, and you wouldn't understand how much you hurt me and everyone else. You're right that it's bad to lead you on with false hope of being forgiven Vector, but speaking from deep down in my heart of hearts, I'm just not there yet. And honestly…" He paused for a moment. "…I don't know if I ever will. And if I don't, well… you'll just have to live with that."

He swallowed his saliva as the heart-sinking silence fell down on all of them. "So that's it, Vector. I wish I had a definite answer for you, but I don't."

Immediately after, the sparkles dissipated, signaling the neutralization of Dirac – and Girag and Alito's march to retrieve Kite. "I understand," said Vector quietly. "I'll be sure to stay on the straight and narrow in the meantime."

Dumon looked at him and nodded. "Good."

Meanwhile, Percy was not so blinded by combat as to not notice Alito and Girag dragging Kite off. "You _do_ realize all you're doing is keeping my Advent Monster's true target fresh, right?!" His glare turned to Mizar once more. "And your Stand-Off has only stopped your end from being quick, Mizar! Android Knight, you're up! Put down that Tachyon Dragon, with your **Android Arc Cannons**!"

The LIGHT Advent Monster's first assault was as blistering as its arrival, firing two curling rays of plasma from its shoulder cannons – and straight at the Rank Eight Dragon of Mizar's."You fell for it again! I activate my Trap Card, ' **Neutrino Fission** '! By discarding one card, this card gives my Tachyon Dragon five hundred Attack and Defense Points as well as destruction immunity for the next two turns! Normally, it only allows me to target a 'Neutrino' monster with its effect, but by discarding my 'Galaxy-Eyes Neutrino Dragon,' its effect allows me to target any monster with this, as well as draw a card afterward!" With Mizar's hand size unchanged at one card, and his Tachyon Dragon's Attack Points climbing once more **[3000 - 3500]** , he all but shrugged off Android Knight's attack with only minimal damage **(LP 1900)**.

His field would not stay unchanged for long, though. "Joan, it's time to do what we should have earlier – rid the field of that Clipper!" yelled Percy. "Strike now!"

Unfortunately, the Clipper would not fare as well against the LIGHT monster assault as Tachyon Dragon did, disappearing in a blaze of scarlet sparks after being sliced by the Crusader of Maedas's blade. Percy let another smile crack his face seeing Mizar's field cut down. "I end my turn with another face-down card!"

Mizar, with his next drawn card, looked ready to turn the tables. "It's time I bring forth my new Galaxy-Eyes monster then!"

"You mean the one you put in your Graveyard to activate Neutrino Fission?" This question came from two sources: the inquisitive Vector and the irritated Percy. Mizar grinned wolfishly at them both. "Indeed, and being in my Graveyard won't slow it down one bit! By destroying my Neutrino Dirac, and banishing a Dragon-Type Dark monster of two thousand or more Attack points from my Deck – like Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord, I can bring for my new and improved traveler of the cosmos!"

Out of the twinkling sky of the Astral World came a flash from a star-a star that soon revealed itself to be a gigantic rocket jet. After circling the building that Mizar and Percy were situated on, it finally landed behind the long-haired blond. "The new arbiter of Armageddon has come! With claws too big to comprehend, wings to split nebulas end-to-end, and jaws to turn each star within, into fuel for the end it will begin! Go forth and conquer, ' _ **GALAXY-EYES NEUTRINO DRAGON**_ _'_!"

With these words, the jet unfolded. Two arms jutted down, nearly taking the cannons off Android Knight Parshath as two metal spire-legs gouged into the building roof on either side of Mizar. And then its head emerged, a wicked, carved façade that belied its fearsome power. **[Galaxy-Eyes Neutrino Dragon/DARK/Dragon/Level 8/3000 ATK/2500 DEF]**

Percy was… less of a fan of this. "TWO Galaxy-Eyes Monsters?! Christ Almighty, after all the damage that name's brought to _so_ many helpless Duelists, you _actually_ went and made _more of them?!"_

"I refuse to believe _any_ one card can ruin a man, Percy – even if it took forty or so in _your_ case," Mizar hissed out through a gate of gritted teeth. "And you should worry more about what my dragon can _do_ rather than where it came from! Especially since it allows me to add another 'Neutrino' card from my Deck to my hand as a reward for its Summon. I choose ' **Neutrino Accelerator'**. Now it's time for another Xyz Summon! Thanks to Galaxy-Eyes Neutrino Dragon's effect, Dirac allows me to draw another card! Next, I Set one card face-down and use my Level Eight Galaxy-Eyes Neutrino Dragon and Neutrino Dirac to build the Overlay Network!"

Once again, the swirling nebula appeared above the battlefield. Just as Mizar's battle chant implied, even as a glowing shard of light Neutrino Dragon's form nearly touched the edges of the network as it was swallowed up by the light alongside Dirac. " _This_ time," boasted Mizar, "I Xyz Summon the Rank Eight ' **Antineutrino Kaon** '! **"**

And with the declaration, another gigantic dragon rose to take Tachyon Dragon's side, this one wielding a giant silver hammer to go with its bulky armor. **[Kaon/DARK/Dragon/Rank 8/4000 ATK/1500 DEF]** "Since this monster requires me to reveal a Dragon-Type monster in my hand to prevent it from destroying a card I control, my next move…"

The various spectators tensed, even Percy. "… will be to let it happen." Mizar finished. And with a roar, Antineutrino Kaon turned the card Set behind it to shards."Wait – but why?!" wondered Girag, now carrying Kite and thwarting the latter's efforts to get off his back.

"Because the card destroyed by the effect was my face-down **'Neutrino Accelerator'…** " Mizar answered. "…the Spell Card Neutrino Dragon let me Set with its effect! And when this card's destroyed, it affords me a new ability which I impart to my Antineutrino Kaon! But before this, I Chain the effect of the Neutrino Dragon attached to it, which drops the Attack Points of all monsters you control by one thousand!"

Desaugeo roared in pain as its ATK plummeted **[Desaugeo ATK: 2900 - 1900]**. Mizar, however, was all too ready for battle. "Now, take your mighty hammer to Percy's Android Knight!"

"But why?! I already told you, it can't be destroyed by battle or monster effects!" Percy shouted as he took a four-hundred-point hit **(Life Points 1800)**. Then he looked up and saw his Advent Monsterdisappear in a cloud of billowing smoke. "WHA-?! Is this because of that Spell?!"

"How perceptive!" Mizar said with backhanded applause. "That card, Neutrino Accelerator, returned your Advent Monster to your Extra Deck since it battled my Antineutrino Kaon and survived! But that's far from all, as Antineutrino Kaon's ability allows me to take out another monster by using one of its Overlay Units – like your weakened Sacred Serpent! Let your **Neutrino Bolt** fly, Kaon!"

This time, however, there would be a response from the zealous prophet. "That strike of yours is wasted, then! My newest Spell Card will see Desaugeo leave for a far stronger member of the Maedas to take its place! I activate ' **Manifest Destiny** ' **,** and bring forth my Level Eight Fusion Monster – **'Maedas Elite – Xylan the Mountainpeak** '!"

Another giant golden portal formed through the Quick-Play Spell's power, this time underneath the Rank Six dragon's feet, sucking it in, producing a being with dark wings fielding six floating swords between its outstretched arms. **[Xylan/Fairy/Fusion/EARTH/Level 8/3500 ATK/2500 DEF]** "This time, my wonderful Desaugeo will bolster my forces further – for when that Xyz Summoned monster leaves the field, it can bring out two more monsters whose total Levels equal six, the same as Desaugeo's Rank! I call forth my **Convener** and **Sermon of Maedas** – the Level Two **Saint Esme** and Level Four **Saint Urie**!"

With this, two Fairies – one with four wings and two giant bladed weapons, the other with two wings and a giant halberd – flashed onto the field, the former in Attack Mode and the latter in Defense Mode. **[St. Urie/Fairy/LIGHT/Level 4/2000 ATK/600 DEF]** **[St. Esme/Fairy/LIGHT/Level 2/1200 ATK/400 DEF]** "Next, I'll switch Saint Urie to Defense Mode to activate his special ability, turning the Zone my Xylan is on into a Convert Zone – while my Saint Esme does the same to its own Zone, making it a Sermon Zone!"

With a flash, two symbols appeared above the zones, golden chains arching above the corners to anchor them in place, the Convert Zone symbolized by a gigantic golden obelisk ringed by the same blue halo that was above St. Urie's head, while the Sermon Zone's symbol was an elaborate Valkyrian helmet. "Being in a Sermon Zone puts your Kaon down five hundred Attack Points, by the way."Kaon's roar of agony accented Percy's notice. **[Kaon's ATK: 4000 - 3500]**

Mizar growled, but he refused to fall for the trickery of Percy's new Zones this time. _Let him bring their fury, then._ "I end my turn. Let us see whether your Elite can stand against mine."

"Wonderful. I draw and call on my ' **Hypnotic Fairy'**... " As the blue-haired Fairy swung its way onto the battlefield, checklist at the ready, the Fairies next to it glowed blue. **[Hypnotic Fairy/LIGHT/Fairy/Level 4/1800 ATK/600 DEF]** "...and use its ability to make all Fairy-Type monsters I control Level One! One and _done_ , that is... " Percy's grin grew once more."...because now I build the Overlay Network with Saint Esme and Hypnotic Fairy!"

A swirling galaxy swallowed up the two columns of light that the bulk of Percy's Fairy-thick brigade had turned into. "With these two monsters, I call the Number to precede all others! I Xyz Summon the Rank One ' **Number Seventy-Eight: NUMBER ARCHIVE'**!"

The rumble of several artifacts – giant cylinders filled to the brim with books – thundered down around both Duelists, cutting them off from the spectators in cacophonic fashion. The mark _78_ formed on both the top of the monster's makeshift shelves as well as Percy's right hand. **[Number 78/Spellcaster/LIGHT/Xyz/Rank 1/0 ATK/0 DEF]**

"A library?" Mizarsniffed haughtily at the Number. "No wonder you preach so much."

"Oh please, it'd do you some _good_ to spend more time in places like this!" Percy rebutted."But I'd rather keep my Number safe from your Galaxy-Eyes monsters, so I'll activate my newly-drawn Spell Card to keep the tide of battle in my favor! Behold, ' **Rank-Up Glorious Grail** '!"

The Continuous Spell Card promptly flashed onto the field, the last card in his hand now producing a golden harp artifact in front of the prophet. "Now I'll put it to good use! My Rank-Up Continuous Spell allows me to rank up my Light Xyz Monster!" Once more, the library surrounding them glowed with a blinding light, the number embroidering the cases of books changing before both Duelists' eyes. "...the hammer of equivalent exchange, **'Number Sixty-Seven: Pair-A-Dice SMASHER'**!"

A terrycloth-dressed giant suddenly snapped into existence from the field of neon sparks where the Number Archives once stood, its gigantic dice-like hammer slung behind its back. **[Number 67/LIGHT/Fairy/Xyz/Rank 5/2100 ATK/2100 DEF]** "With its new ability, your end will come all the faster! See, its special ability _would_ require me to detach an Overlay Unit, but thanks to my Glorious Grail, banishing a number of Light monsters from my field or Graveyard equal to its Rank'll do as well! I hate having to do this but..." With bated breath, Percy took St. Bath, Joan, St. Azriel, Neron, and Judi, and banished them."Now we each roll the die twice by Pair-A-Dice Smasher's effect!"

Mizar idly stared at the two dice that popped into existence in front of his eyes. Following Percy's lead, he put his palms on both – only for them to shoot out and ricochet all around the stage. Girag was less than amused. "WHOA! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE AIMING THAT, I'VE GOT A PASSENGER OVER HERE!"

"A passenger with working ears..." hissed Kite, still saddled unceremoniously on the larger youth's back. The dice's motions stopped at those words, almost as if to keep from irritating him further, and simply dropped to the floor – Percy'sresults being seven while Mizar's was ten. "Seems I've won the exchange," Mizar curtly smiled.

"Looks are deceiving, predator," warned Percy."Pair-A-Dice Smasher, alter the _first_ die."

The monster tapped its hammer on the ground. The first die glowed, and when it ebbed away, the artifact's upturned side now had seven pips on it instead of two. "What sorcery is this?" Mizar demanded.

"Pair-A-Dice's final ability," Percy explained, pointing to his giant Number Monster. "Since it has Overlay Units to spare, it can make any single die result become seven instantly. Since I've got the edge now..." and he did, as his die results now totaled twelve to Mizar's ten. "...you suffer my Number's consequence, as my beast now erects a barrier that protects me from your monster's effects and attacks for two whole turns, starting now!"

"WHAT?!" Mizar yelled, a droplet against the growing swell of noise from the golden barrier that now separated the prophet and Number 67 from him."Oh, and the army's worth of Light monsters I banished?" Percy went on."Well, for one time only, by Xylan's special ability, I can bring two of them back – Judi and Joan!" The twin Level Four Spellcasters stormed back to the field. "A shame they're not attacking, but they'll give rise to new life anyways. One that will see you go down in flames! I call on the Overlay Network, and combine my Joan and Judi into..." For the third time in the turn, the nebula above them both sucked in its needed material, then imploded. "...my familiar Rank Four, ' **Regis, the Sacred Scorcher of Maedas** '!"

Both Mizar and Kite gaped open-mouthed at the gigantic red bird that emerged from its cocoon of flames. Kite, in particular, was nearly stunned silent. "...That... that was what came after us! I knew it – that monster is what made me like this!"

"Wait –THAT'S what hampered you for so long?" Mizar to face Kite at such a speed he thought his neck would snap. "What does it _do_?!"

"Why not ask me?!" Percy yelled. "I'd rather show than tell today, so have a look at your _new_ field, Mizar!"

Mizar turned to see that his entire monster lineup – and the Zones beyond them on his field – now had the burning insignia of a winged hawk burned into the floor in five places. "Your field is now Regis's playground, and with him in tow, I end my turn – which sets two final special abilities in motion! First, my Glorious Grail's effect time is up, so the previous form of the Xyz Monster it transformed, Number Seventy-Eight: Number Archive, will be Summoned from its materials to my field – and my Pair-A-Dice Smasher and all of its units become Number Archive's once more!"

The all-too-familiar library zoomed back up around the two of them again, three orbiting lights now encircling it. "And the second deal is Regis's special power – because, in exchange for one Overlay Unit, I can burn away four hundred of your Life Points for each occupied Scorch Zone, like the two occupied Zones right now!"

Mizar's response was a guttural scream as the flames of Regis's Searing Fissure Strike swamped him **(Life Points 1100)**. "My turn's over," Percy finished at last.

Mizar, breathing hard from the assault by the Rank Four Xyz Monster, reassessed his current situation. His twin Xyz Monsters lived, but they faced down three titans in Xylan, the Number Archive, and Regis. And thanks to the lingering barrier left by Pair-A-Dice Smasher, Mizar could not utilize them. _Leaving the two of them on the board's not an option anymore,_ he thought. He stood, drew, and grinned. "Time I flip my emergency switch then," he muttered. Then, louder so that the prophet could hear him, "Oh, and you're wrong about me deciding to make _one_ new Galaxy-Eyes monster, too! I call upon the Overlay Network, to combine my twin Xyz Monsters, Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon and Antineutrino Kaon!"

The nebula appeared over him, and his two Xyz Monsters swam into it, resulting in an implosion that could be seen across Astral World, even catching the attention of Eliphas. "So...it seems our intruders have met their match," he said, a small smile crossing his face.

Back at the dueling stage, the ebbing light gave way to sleek silver – from the amethyst dotting its shoulders, to the wicked collection of blade-like talons that made up its wings and feet, to the layer upon layer of curves and spikes that made up its head. This great beast's identification would match its grandeur. "I call upon the Rank Nine, ' **GALAXY-EYES NEUTRINO TACHYON DRAGON** '!" **[Neutrino Tachyon Dragon/Dragon/LIGHT/Xyz/Rank 9/3200 ATK/2800 DEF]**

Percy, shaking in either rage or shock – even to him, it was too all-consuming to tell, could only mutter one thing in response. "Tidus is going to pay for not finding this out earlier, man..."

Jumping on the opportunity that Percy's (relative) silence gave him, Mizar then revealed another card in his hand. "Now I call upon the ' **Neutrino Double-Beta Decay** ' Quick-Play Spell to waste your Maedas Elite!"

 _Nevermind then_ , thought Percy as the crimson blast tore through his precious Fusion Monster and blew it off the field. _Definitely cold fury now._

"My turn ends, and so does the effect of your wretched Smasher!" Mizar yelled as Percy's golden barrier faded into nothingness. Percy snarled, drew, and looked at his Number Archive. _It's time,_ he thought. "Regis will be sure to take the last bit of your Life Points with it after I'm through, but it's time I put an end to all of this! I call upon my Glorious Grail to-"

"Not so fast! I'll use an Overlay Unit from Neutrino Tachyon Dragon to stop your Spell Cards and their effects from activating until the end of the Battle Phase! Go, **Neutrino Tachyon Neutralizer**!" And with this, Percy's great harp was surrounded by red sparks, fossilizing it into a silver statue of its former golden glory, where it crashed to his field with a deafening _thunk_. Percy stared at it in disbelief for another second before turning to Mizar with a frighteningly wide scowl on his face. "The hard way it is then, Barian. I activate Number Archive's ability. By using one Overlay Unit, it turns into any Number of my choice for the rest of the turn. And I promised this Number would be the one to slay the Galaxy-Eyes Dragons! Prepare yourself!"

With this, the great library rose again, glowing with a green light. But as it started to shift, the bleached sky above them shifted first. A ripple went through the air, and through the visage of the prophet, the view of the skyline that had once only been available to see for a particular few finally revealed itself to all present – a chalk-white expanse surrounding a near-blackened planet at the center. Whirling around at Astral World's atmosphere's drop in glamour, Percy immediately outstretched his hand. Nothing happened. Doing it three more times, Percy immediately flailed out his right hand instead and pushed a button on his Duel Disk. "Yeah boss, you felt that too? Powers aren't going off now, did something-?!"

The response from it only drew the rapt attention of Kite and the four former Emperors, but the only response they got to the apparent new situation was that of the prophet's paling face. Then he whirled up to face them all. "RUN!"

Mizar paled. "Wait, not without an-"

"There's going to be A LOT of things we'll be going without in a few seconds, life-bearing limbs several of them! I'll try to keep the tech from blowing up upon us all, NOW R-"But at that moment, the tragic ripple cut through him again, and the scene warped horribly, as a column of light suddenly engulfed Percy, shot from the blackened planetoid over the center of the Astral World.

Almost immediately, the former Barians took off, barely keeping ahead of the pillar of light as it swallowed up the building Percy was on. When it concluded the boy and the structure he was on top of were gone, with more beams of light coming from the not-so-dead planet to boot.

"Wonderful!" screamed Alito. "We came to save _one_ world and now _another's_ gonna smoke us?! _"_

But his cry was cut off by another wall of bright light swallowing a building ten feet behind him. Without another thought, they set off again through the disappearing city, dodging beams the whole way through.

* * *

 **SIGNER TIMELINE/THE SATELITE/8:28 PM**

Yusei tensed as Save's turn began despite his small lead. Though his Life Points were higher **(Yusei's LP 3400; Save's LP 3500)** , his three-thousand-Attack-Point Bri Warrior was also wearing off from the effects of its Bri Synchron powerup. **[Bri Warrior ATK: 3000 - 2400]** But most of all, Yusei was very much aware of how hard he'd had to press his monsters just to get his slight advantage.

 _This is turning out exactly how I_ didn't _want it to go,_ he thought as the two of them turned onto a long stretch of road spanning the Satellite. _Every second I spend here takes me farther away from Akiza,_ he added, chancing a glance back in the direction from which they'd come. _I have to get back to her! She might need my help! But the only way to do that is to win this Duel!_ He looked back at Save. _All I need to do is endure her next turn._ But the look in her eyes as she drew her next card told him she wasn't going to let up on him any longer.

"I'll match your Synchro play with one of my own," she began, "But first, I've gotta handle something with my 'Chrome Star Agent, Number Thirteen' – see, when a Standby Phase arrives, the player in action has to banish a face-up card they control and Set it back to their field during the End Phase. So with no other choice, I'll banish my Agent." And with that, the cerulean-crowned operative was gone in a flash of yellow sparks.

"But it won't be for nothing," Save went on, "Because her effect compensates me with seven hundred Life Points!" And her score rose above Yusei's again **(3400 - 4100).** " _Now,_ let's start the turn proper with my new 'Chrome Star Agent' – codename 'Enigma', in Defense Mode!" A shimmering wave of light brought forth the white-haired operative, video-screens crackling into life behind her like a saboteur's spider-web. **[EARTH/Warrior/Level 4/1500 ATK/1700 DEF]** "My Enigma's quite a popular gal, too; the second she's Normal Summoned, she lets me put another 'Chrome Star Agent' in the field from my hand in face-down Defense Mode, like my 'Chrome Star Agent' – codename, 'Director'!"

Before Yusei could grasp the monster's stats, the Summoned monster was placed on the field face-down, keeping him from knowing what he was about to face. "Now that the trap's been set, let's feed out the lure! I Flip Summon the 'Chrome Star Agent – Forgotten One' that you couldn't hit last turn…" The black-haired spy spun out to the field from the last remaining card from the OutBreak switch-up last turn. Levying her long cannon at Yusei with one hand, she raised her other hand – now glowing an eerie blue – into the sky. "…and utilize its special power! See, I can devote a thousand of my Life Points and banish my 'Chrome Star Agent – Chosen One' from my Graveyard – to make use of one of your Spell Cards – like that 'Tuning' –from your Graveyard!" The crusader's Life Points crept back down again **(4100 - 3100)** as she spoke.

 _Well, that's new,_ Yusei thought, taking note of Save as his Normal Spell Card materialized on her field via a digital replica. _I wasn't expecting that._

"I'll trust you can keep from using the one that's still in your Graveyard then, right? Since it's mine now?"

"Of course, now continue," Yusei curtly replied.

"See, you're already learning how to get along with people again! Would've been nicer all those years ago, but I digress! Now that I have access to your 'Tuning' Spell Card, I'll use it to add – oh, I don't know – ' _ **Millennia Synchron'**_ to my hand!"

Yusei's eyes widened. Originally, that girl he was facing wasn't that familiar – the hood covered her hair, the cloak her body, and the chrome sphere everything else. But the monster's name struck a chord somewhere in his memory, bringing back images of dirty run-down buildings… and a deal with a little girl who took a shining to his journey to pacify the Satellite's Duel Gang scene.

"SAVE!" Yusei exclaimed, recognizing her at last as he slammed on the brakes, eliciting a screech as his Runner's wheels skidded against the pavement. Immediately Save did the same, bringing her own Runner to a stop beside his, each machine attached to thirty feet of skid marks. "I'm so embarrassed that I forgot!" Yusei cried out, finally seeing the emotion of shock cross her exposed face. "I… I tried to find you for days after we met! At least tell me what you fell into during that time!"

"Fell… into…?" Save's expression was quizzical at first. Then her face darkened at the implication. "Do you _still_ think I'm somehow in wi… with a bad crowd now? Absolutely not!"

"Then explain why one of my friends is currently fighting for her life!" Yusei countered. "This isn't you, Save – at least not like the you I remember!"

"Don't talk to me like I'm your kid!" Save snapped. "The group I'm a part of now _took me in_ and did more for me than you ever did! They _cared_ for my safety, which is more than I can say for you, you ass!" She swiveled back in her seat. "Oh, and remember what my Chrome Star Ones can do, b-because I know Akiza will if you duck out of your _payback_!"

Yusei, to her silent thanks, took no notice of her stutter. "Save, you _gotta_ believe me, I did _everything_ I could to find you," he said desperately. "If I could've, I would've made sure nothing happened to you. And once I make sure Akiza's okay, I'll do the same for you, I promise." He lowered his head and turned to look at the road ahead. "I won't let what happened before happen again. And thank you for reminding me."

"Of what?"

"That there's always someone worth Dueling for, even your enemies."

Save scoffed at this. "Guess I should thank you." She blinked once, twice, then thrice. "But I'd rather introduce you to the 'Millennia Synchron' your 'Tuning' Spell gave me, and the card in the Graveyard from my Deck that I get from it."

"Fine," said Yusei, taking off his helmet. "But not like this. If we're gonna Duel, let's do it facing each other head-on." He stepped off his Runner and ran the procedure to convert his Duel Disk to ground mode. "I imagine you'd rather do it this way than constantly switch between looking back at me and chasing me like some cat-and-mouse game," he added, attaching it to his wrist dealer.

Save took a moment. "Agreed." She dismounted her own Runner and ran the same procedure, snapping her Duel Disk onto her arm and smiling as she saw what her mill turned up."I now tune my Chrome Star Agents – both the Forgotten One _and_ my Enigma'!"

As the Forgotten One collapsed into a foursome of stars, the Enigma followed them by changing into the speedometer rings. Save clasped her hands together, one card still between them. "With them I bring to you my elite class in the Chrome Star coalition, and _its_ most mendacious member – the ' _ **Five Point Agent – Regina the FIFTH**_ _'_!"

A gigantic opal scythe soon erupted from the beam that bisected the rings, and cut it away from its holder – an older version of the Forgotten One, now with clothing and hair as white as snow, and a gaze as black as the night. **[Regina/EARTH/Warrior/Synchro/Level 8/2500 ATK/1500 DEF]** This time, it was Yusei left in awe at the brilliant aura behind the Level Eight Synchro Monster, now locking gaze with his similarly-Leveled Stardust Dragon. _Maybe I'm wrong,_ he thought. _Maybe Save hasn't lost her way after all. She's still true to herself after all this time._ He looked over Save's face in greater detail, a pang of guilt running through him as he noted her scars. _All the more reason this needs to end quickly, then._

"Weirdly enough, I agree." Yusei was slightly jostled by Save's response, as if she'd read his mind. "Let's start with my Enigma versus your Junk Synchron. Attack with **Enigma Machine-Gatling!** "

Enigma's called attack resulted in the screens around her turning to static – then shooting that static as streams of black-and-white-dotted plasma that tore through the DARK Tuner **(Yusei's LP: 3600 - 3400).** "And even though their Attack Points are equal, I'm gonna play my Synchro's attack out," Save added.

"What are you doing?!" asked Yusei. "This is a mistake, they'll destroy each other!" _And my Bri Warrior is weak enough now for her to hit_ that _instead!_ he didn't add.

"Maybe. But for once it's _my_ mistake to make. Regina the Fifth…time to take down a Signer Dragon! Strike down Stardust with your **Heart's Content**!"

Regina the Fifth hoisted up its white-on-purple scythe and took to the air, even higher than she was before and brought it down, ready to attempt to part the Cosmic Flare that its foe was charging up or get destroyed trying.

Yusei elected for what was behind door number three. "Go, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" The ramshackle repeller shot out of its rectangular silhouette and between both battling Synchro Monsters, intercepting Regina the Fifth's scythe with a loud _clang_. "When a monster of yours attacks…" Yusei began.

"-it blocks the attack, I get the idea, I saw what happened," Save cut in. "Fine then. I should've seen that coming, so I'll end my turn with the return of my 'Chrome Star Agent – Number Thirteen', face-down." She waved a hand at Yusei, her mood now far surlier state – but her field all the fuller for the return of the Level Four EARTH Warrior.

Yusei drew, then observed the field. _That face-down card Save has could easily be another Operation OutBreak,_ he noted. _And then I'd be in trouble. I have to stop her before she puts down Millennia Synchron again – because if my hunch is right, there's likely a Millennia_ Warrior _somewhere in her Extra Deck._ He looked at his hand. _In the meantime, I'll have to rely on this card and my knowledge of her monsters' stats to do the rest._ "I use the power of my Set 'Scrap-Iron Sentinel' again, which allows me to Special Summon back an old friend of mine – the 'Junk Synchron' you destroyed!"

The Level Three Tuner monster was back on the field, large eyes brimming with joy. "Now I'll tune my Bri Warrior with my Junk Synchron once more!" The emerald android was soon turned to gold through its hologram fading, and the light lance shot through them again. "I Synchro Summon my Level Nine ' **Junk Combiner** ' in Defense Mode!"

A titanic robot that looked like Junk Destroyer's supersized cousin swam out from the Synchro array, shield wings flapping strongly as it shifted to a blue aura in its protective stance. **[Junk Cominber LIGHT/Warrior/Synchro/Level 9/2400 ATK/2300 DEF]** "Junk Combiner has some heavy-duty tricks of his own – because upon being Synchro Summoned it can send one Tuner monster and one non-Tuner monster from my Main or Extra Deck to the Graveyard, so long as they aren't Light or Dark! Then it nets me a card for each 'Junk' monster I sent! So my 'Junk Welder' Tuner and my 'Junk Changer' will head on down from my Deck so I can draw two! And since my Bri Warrior's gone down, once this Duel it can replace itself with another Synchro Monster made from a 'Synchron' monster in my Deck and a 'Junk' monster from either my hand or Graveyard! In this case, it'll be my Level Three monsters ' **Drill Synchron** ' _and_ 'Junk Forward'!"

Both monsters popped to the field, the Drill Synchron quickly dissolving into a triage of stares that Junk Forward would align with. **[Drill Synchron/EARTH/Machine/Tuner/Level 3/800 ATK/300 DEF]**

Soon both monsters were lost in the speedometer rings, and later, the lights threading through them. "I now Synchro Summon my _Level Six '_ _ **Drill Warrior**_ _'_!" **[Drill Warrior/EARTH/Warrior/Synchro/Level 6/2400 ATK/2000 DEF]**

Yusei had more in store for his new bronze-armored Warrior-Type Synchro Monster, which was levying its large drill at Save. "By halving its Attack Points, Drill Warrior can now bypass your brigade and attack you directly!" **[Drill Warrior ATK: 2400 -? 1200]** "Now, let's see if your Traps help against a direct strike! Drill Warrior, you're up first!"

Apparently, Save's luck wouldn't take in this instance as Drill Warrior's spear hit home **(Save's LP 3100 -1900).** "And now, my Stardust Dragon will take it to your Enigma! Go, **Cosmic Flare**!"

Finally, Stardust Dragon's attack hit its target, tearing through the white-haired operative **(Save's LP 1900 - 900).** Save grimaced. "I'll get you back for that! Since I took damage from a battle involving my Normal Summoned monster, my 'Chrome Star Agent – Happy Trigger' will come forth and hit you for the same damage I took!"

The maid-dressed agent effortlessly hauled its chain cannon at Yusei after hitting the field, and sprayed several rounds at him **(LP 3400 - 2400).** Biting back his lip from the impact, Yusei continued. "I Set one card face-down, discard one of the cards left in my hand to banish Drill Warrior for two turns, and end my turn."

As the EARTH Synchro Monster of Yusei's burrowed down into the ground and Lefty Driver was deposited into his Graveyard, Save drew another card as her turn began to bring her hand to three. _Crap. Now I'm behind thanks to him. Fortunately, I have a face-down monster._ "I now Flip Summon-"

"Oh no you don't!" interrupted Yusei. "I activate Junk Combiner's special ability!" Yusei's Defense Position Synchro Monster suddenly leaned forward and let loose a barrage of missiles from its back.

"Hey, what gives?!" yelled Save.

Yusei finally grinned. "Since it's your turn, my Junk Combiner can target one monster I control – even _itself_ – and destroy all other cards in its column, like your Set Director, as well as activate one of its two alternate systems! The one I picked allows it to gain one hundred extra Attack and Defense Points for each Level among the Tuners in my Graveyard! Between my Junk, Steam, Drill, and Bri Synchrons and my Junk Welder, that totals out to seventeen, and therefore seventeen hundred Attack and Defense Points!" **[Junk Combiner ATK/DEF: 2400/2300 - 5100/5000]**

Save's face paled. "You…you mean you had this planned for me _the whole time_ after you Summoned Combiner?"

"Of course! I took what you said about baiting the trap seriously, Save! Why else would you Summon a monster with more Attack Points than Defense face-down? You were planning to Flip Summon it this turn and turn the tides – so Junk Combiner will drown it in those tides before you can!" He thrust out his hand. "Go, **Junk Cataclysm**!" Junk Combiner's missiles finally touched down on Save's Director, putting it down in a field of flames.

Save winced at the flames from the Synchro Monster's strike… then shot out a grin of her own. "Cool. Guess we're both getting lucky today, because my Director has a once-per-Duel effect as well! And thanks to my **Chrome Star Debrief** , I get to add two Level Four or lower 'Chrome Star Agent' monsters from my Graveyard to _my_ hand to make up for its trip to the Graveyard!"

The Agents Forgotten One and Rouge were back in her hand within seconds. Two cards richer, Save's smile did not leave her lips. "Now, let's see if I can make up for lost Life Points! I Flip Summon back my Chrome Star Agent – Number Thirteen, and activate my new Spell, ' **The Power of One** '! Thanks to it, I can bring back my 'Chrome Star Agent' Tuner brigade to the field, whether they're in my hand or banished! Come forth, Forgotten One _AND_ Chosen One!"

 _So_ that's _why she banished the latter Agent with Forgotten One!_ Yusei realized. _Her monsters don't waste any motion!_

Right at that moment, Save's field was filled to capacity with the two Warrior Tuners, standing alongside Regina V, her Set Number 13, and Happy Trigger. **[Chrome Star Agent: Chosen One/EARTH/Warrior/ Tuner/Level 3/1400 ATK/400 DEF]** "Before I bring forth my next agent of destruction, I activate Regina the Fifth's first special ability! Since you've got a card in your hand, I can guess its type – and if I call it right, it goes into your Deck while I draw a card. And you'd have put it on the field if it was a Spell or Trap, so it has to be… _a monster!"_

Yusei's mouth drew shut in a pursed line as he revealed 'Junk Defender' from his hand, then shuffled it back into his Deck. Save, as stated before, drew again, Set the new card she had, and continued apace. "Time for another Tune to tell, then! I Tune the Chrome Star Agents Chosen One and Happy Trigger!" Over the roar of the light stream encompassing the materials, Save continued. "I Synchro Summon the head-and-enemy-turner, the ' **Five Point Agent –** _ **DENSIS THE FOURTH**_ _'!"_

The armor-thick Synchro Monster now had horns to go with its devilish grin, settling on the ring in Defense Mode like a coiled cat. **[EARTH/Warrior/Synchro/Level 7/1700 ATK/2700 DEF]** "And since my Chosen One hit my Graveyard by means other than destruction, that's three hundred more Life Points for me for every face-down card I've got! I've only got two here, but every bit counts! **(Save's LP: 900 -1500)** Densis the Fourth's ability goes off too – because all I need do is drop its Defense Points to zero, to take command of a monster you've got whose Attack Points are less than the twenty-seven hundred Defense Points it lost!" She pointed to Yusei's Stardust Dragon. "So now your best monster's coming over to serve me!"

Yusei's blue eyes shot open again at the news. _No WAY am I losing Stardust_ again _!_ "I activate my Trap – **'Tuner's Arrest** '! It'll negate your Densis's targeting ability on my Stardust Dragon, since a Tuner was used to bring it to the field last turn!"

Save's brow furrowed as her monster's assault bounced harmlessly off a giant crystal-shaped barrier surrounding Yusei's Stardust Dragon. "Fine then, I'll do this the hard way: I Normal Summon my 'Millennia Synchron', Flip Summon my 'Chrome Star Agent – Number Thirteen', and Tune my Synchron up with Densis the Fourth!"

A golden shard of rock burst open to reveal the eponymous pyramid-shaped Tuner, its single bionic eye whirring madly in its stone socket. **[Millennia Synchron/EARTH/Machine/Tuner/Level 1/0 ATK/1000 DEF]** Soon, however, the single star it became guided the laser that swallowed up Densis whole. Yusei could only stand in shock as the light turned golden, the hue of the Synchro Monster forming beneath it overpowering its blinding white.

"I Synchro Summon ' **Millennia Warrior** ' in Defense Mode!" Promptly, the gold-coated EARTH Synchro Monster rose up to float on the purple-haired girl's right, the Eye of Wdjat decorating its hammer. **[EARTH/Warrior/Synchro/Level 8/2000 ATK/3000 DEF]** "I was actually hoping I could've _stopped_ this," Yusei said, shaking his head.

Save heard him. "I'm not stopping anything," she replied. "Not this Duel, not my work with the Aspect, _nothing._ "

"What _are_ you doing with the Aspect, anyway?" Yusei asked. "And while we're on the subject, who _are_ they?"

"People who've done more for me than you ever did," answered Save venomously. "Now I activate my Millennia Synchron's effect! Since it was used to Synchro Summon a 'Warrior' Synchro Monster, I gain a thousand more Life Points and draw _another_ card!" She did so with a flourish **(Save's LP 1500 - 2500).** "Now, since I know you've got Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to stop my Regina the Fifth from attacking, I'll activate another Operation to cut your field to size – the ' **Operation StormyNight** '!"

In a flash, a fierce wind whipped up the moment the Continuous Spell Card appeared beside Save. "Now we each choose one monster, and send the rest of them napping in face-down Defense Position! I'll pick my Regina the Fifth of course, and you…?"

"…Stardust Dragon." said Yusei, narrowing his eyes as his Junk Combiner was flipped face-down, wiping out the gains it had made the past turn while Number 13, the Forgotten One and Millenia Warrior were placed face-down on the crusader's side of the field.

Yusei wasn't worried. _Sorry Save, but I'm not leaving Stardust at your mercy,_ he thought.

But Save had other ways to slay his dragon. "StormyNight does another good thing for me – like dropping your Stardust monster's Attack Points by a hundred for each Set card on the field!"

Stardust Dragon roared as blackened spots started sprouting up among its pristine coat. **[Stardust Dragon's ATK: 2500 - 2000].** "And it's right in position for the shadows of my Operation Spell Card to consume it whole!" Save went on. "Since there are three or more Set monsters on the field, I can use StormyNight's final ability to take one of your Special Summoned monsters with two thousand or less Attack Points and send it to the Graveyard, at the cost of no further direct attacks this turn!"

Yusei's eyes widened. "So no matter what happened, you had a way to take down Stardust Dragon?!"

"And in a way that not even its special power could save it from! Sucks when that happens to those you swore to protect, _doesn't it?!"_ Save hissed as the warping tree-like black silhouettes around both Duel Runners wrapped around Yusei's dragon, cocooning it and shrinking it down to the size of a marble before exploding in sparks. Yusei's shock only lasted a second before he remembered what Save had said. _Direct attacks are off the table. And my Graveyard's full of resources to help me for the next turn._

But Save wasn't done. "And after my Regina purges us of that Junk Combiner's presence..." she left her sentence trail off unfinished as the Five Point Agent's Heart's Content whipped through the robotic Synchro Monster's bulk like a roll of cheese."...I think I'm through on my end for now," Save finished.

"Then I'll start my turn again…" Yusei drew, and curtly grinned. "…and bring back my Drill Warrior who, thanks to its ability, can also return the Junk Welder in my Graveyard to my hand!"

"All the better to snipe out of your hand next turn! Also, since you Summoned something useful this turn, I'm gonna respond in kind! By banishing 'The Chrome Star Check' from my Graveyard, I can Flip Summonmy Number Thirteen and allow its Attack Points to become the same as your Drill Warrior!" **[Number 13's ATK: 1300 - 2400]** "And since it's now _your_ Standby Phase, you have to choose a monster of yours to banish until your End Phase!"

 _Meaning I won't have the Attack Points to stop Number Thirteen from phasing away again on Save's turn, and I lose my last Synchro on this turn!_ Yusei looked at the Spell he still had Set on the field."Alright then, guess Drill Warrior's burrowing away again."

The Level Six Synchro Monster promptly disappeared. "Now I activate my Set card, the Quick-Play Spell Card ' **Synchro-Librium** '! By revealing a Tuner monster from my hand, and Special Summoning a monster from my Graveyard with the same Level as it, I can Synchro Summon with both monsters, even while the first is still in my hand! Come on out, 'Tuningware', as I tune you with 'Mono Synchron'!"

Both monsters quickly fell between the speedometer wings, and the resulting light show lit up Yusei's face once more. "I Synchro Summon the Level Two ' _ **Stardust Synchron**_ _'!"_

"What – but I've never seen you with a monster like that before…" Save's words died when she took note of one specific detail on the dragon-scaled Synchro Monster that rushed out to the Signer's field. **[LIGHT/Machine/Synchro/Tuner/Level 2/200 - 0 ATK/1500 - 1200 DEF]** _Of course,_ she realized, _He's going to Synchro Summon!_

"Stardust Synchron's debut now gets me three cards!" Yusei went on. "The first comes from the effect that resurrects my mighty Stardust Dragon from my Graveyard, the second from both it and its Synchro Materials' Types matching through my 'Synchro-Librium' Spell, and the third from Tuningware being used as a Synchro Material once again!"

"Oh shoot, that can't be good for me…" Save muttered, as Yusei's empty hand was replenished with two new cards and his mighty shining ace came roaring back above his head. **[Stardust Dragon's ATK/DEF: 2500/2000 -2200/1700].** "I wouldn't think so either – but right now, it's time for a new trick. I tune both of my Synchro Monsters together – my Level TwoStardust Synchron _and my Level Eight Stardust Dragon_!"

" _Another_ Synchro Monster I don't know about?!" Save uttered, her words panicked and jumbled as the twin rings formed around the rising WIND Synchro Monster, the final bolt from the blue rocketing above the entire field of battle. Yusei then closed his eyes, and envisioned something powerful, knowing his next great performance would require a strong memory and will to enact. _.And now, Save. Everyone I ever slipped up against, failed to save, or failed to see. This day, no more. No further. I take on my own road to destiny, and pave the way forward for theirs to follow! Let the light I call upon illuminate all our futures together._ He opened his eyes, determined. _Here goes._ "I Synchro Summon – _'STARDUST WARRIOR'!"_

The light dissipated but did not disappear. Instead, it imbued itself within the body of the newest and most powerful of Yusei's Synchro Monsters as it flexed its semi-mechanical limbs. Spreading its majestic wings to full, the vibrant Synchro Monster's trail of stardust only served to make its titanic presence all the more mystifying. **[WIND/Warrior/Synchro/Level 10/3000 ATK/2500 DEF]**

Save was finally speechless, gaping in nervous awe. The visage of this new monster was as terrifying as its predecessor was captivating. But the small part of her that even the Aspect'straining didn't get to – but the item encircling her neck had – thumped madly. And a rush of intel ran back into the small crusader's mind.

 _For all the effort it took to Synchro Summon, that Stardust Warrior's Attack Points has only matched my face-down Millennia Warrior's Defense Points. Not .And also_ … _oh, my Regina the Fifth has a final ability too… one that's sure to keep her on the field for my next turn. Oh Yusei, you fair-weather_ fraud, _I'm about to turn your world asunder!_

"I activate the effect of my Five Point Agent, Regina the Fifth!" Save's uncharacteristically booming voice was, again, ignored by Yusei, still a bit out of sorts from the strain it took to Summon the Level Ten Synchro he now had. "Since you've brought out your biggest, baddest monster, this card not only gains its effects but immunity from them so long as your Warrior remains on your field…" She then activated her Set card with a set of frenzied giggles. "…not that it'll be doing _THAT_ for much longer, either, because I ALSO activate my Set card, ' **Operation DoubleLife'**!"

"And what does _that_ do?"

"Oh, nothing serious," Save lied. "Just ensures I have a second chance to take your Stardust away! Because, at the cost of another card from my field or Graveyard, like my Number Thirteen, for starters…" and Save's sole face-up Agent fizzled away. "…I can bring out up to two Earth Agents from my Graveyard! But to ensure the stats stay at their peak – which doesn't happen if I bring out two – I'll simply elect to bring back my Five Point Agent, Densis the Fourth, for another crack at capturing your Synchro!"

"Except this time my Synchro'll bite back harder!" Yusei declared, as he saw the visage of Densis IV phasing back to the field. "By Tributing my Stardust Warrior, I can shut down your Five Point Agent's Summon and destroy it!"

"Oh, joy!" Save clapped her hands together with a frightening grin. "What a wonderful ability that is! So potent, so fast! So, I'll bring forth my own ability to turn back yours! Remember the last 'Operation' card that got dusted because of OutBreak's effect expiring? Well it has another gift while in the Grave, and-"

KA- _KRAK!_

Both duelists heard the thunderclap and turned to see the bolt that shot out of the darkening sky before surging in a spot miles away. But to Yusei and Save, two important people were still there.

" _Evy!"_

" _AKIZA!"_

Almost as if summoned by their dual cries of concern, another lightning bolt tore from the sky and crackled a full ten meters behind them. It started moving towards them. "What's happening right now?!" Yusei asked Save, his shock palatable.

Save took no notice of her target. Instead, she jumped onto her runner and slammed her feet on the gas, wildly tapping her watch as Yusei soon followed suit. "Come on, boss, _come on!_ This wasn't supposed to be happening unless we were in _real_ trouble! And not like this!"

Were Yusei focused on the skyline, he'd have another implication as to why Save was so concerned – starting with the white-bordered planet now flickering above the sky like a faulty floodlight. Or the bolt's origins stemming to a fixed point on that sphere as well. But his eyes were locked firmly on Save right then and there, and to his detriment that celestial body would not be the only thing he would miss for it. "What's going _on,_ Save? That bolt over there might have crashed on top of Akiza, and we're only out-speeding this one until we're out of road! _What's happening?!_ "

" _I don't know!"_ snapped Save. "This was our emergency switch to get back to the Dystopia, but we're clearly not in danger – so _who in the world IS?!"_

"Wait!" called Yusei as another bolt of lightning came down the highway towards them. "What's the Dystopia of Desire?!"

Save, eyes forward, didn't respond, instead turning and stopping her Duel Runner to avoid the oncoming lightning. Yusei was almost half out of his own Runner, eyes fully on the person he intended to save, his voice cracking as he called out for Save to either take his hand or give him an explanation as he T-boned her Runner with his own.

"GWAAAAAAAAAAAA-!"

"OH NO _, SAAAAAAAVE-!"_

Yusei, in the only bit of good fortune he would have that day, managed to catch Save's body as they tumbled through the air from the impact. But they could not avoid the bolts closing in on them, and with a furious flash of emerald light, Save, Yusei, and their Duel Runners were gone from the highway in a flash.

* * *

 **ASTRAL WORLD/NUMBER TIMELINE/?**

"Gagaga Dean, attack his Hydraul Hollow Gorge!" yelled Yuma, thrusting his arm forward. "Gagagablaze Attack!"

"Not so fast!" interrupted Tidus. "I activate my Trap, Hydraul Pressure Prison!"

Before Yuma knew it, his high-powered Spellcaster was entrapped within a large sphere of water. "Hey, what gives?" said Yuma.

"Let me repeat myself and elaborate," said Tidus. "I activated my Hydraul Pressure Prison and targeted your Gagaga Dean with it. Now she can't attack, and also her Attack and Defense stats are both halved. Oh, and one _other_ thing: Since Gagaga Dean isn't a Hydraul monster, she's unaffected by your other card effects that are active on the field."

"No way!" uttered Yuma in dismay. He checked the rest of his cards. "Then for my second Main Phase, I'll activate Gagaga Caesar's effect! By banishing a monster from my Graveyard, I can make the Levels of all Gagaga monsters I control equal to that monster's Level! So I'll banish Level Four Gogogo Golem from my Graveyard to change all my monsters' Levels to Four! Next, I'll overlay Level Four Gagaga Caesar and Gagaga Dean!"

As he spoke, the two monsters glowed brightly – yellow for Gagaga Caesar and purple for Dean – and took off into the sky as a spiral nexus opened underneath them. "With these two monsters," bellowed Yuma as they flew into the nexus, "I build the Overlay Network, and Xyz Summon ' **Number Thirty-Nine: Utopia'**!"

As Tidus looked on, the white-and-gold warrior that was Yuma's signature rose out of the nexus and took up a stance between the two Duelists. "And there's more!" Yuma announced, taking a card from his hand and putting it in the slot, "I activate the Continuous Spell Card Rank-Up Utopic Exceed! This lets me do some crazy wicked stuff, like Tribute my Utopia to Special Summon two Utopia Xyz Monsters from my Extra Deck – one Rank Five and one Rank Six – and then attach a monster from my Graveyard to each one!"

With that, Utopia glowed a bright white light before dispersing, and two orbs of light emerged from Yuma's Extra Deck box and placed themselves onto his field. The bright lights faded, revealing who they were. "So now say hello to Rank Five Number Thirty-Nine: Utopia Infinity and Rank Six Number Thirty-Nine: Utopia Beyond!" He grinned cheesily. "Now Utopia's gone to Infinity… and BEYOND!"

A pregnant pause accompanied Yuma's words. "Alright, alright, I get it!" Yuma grumbled. "It was just a joke, jeez!"

"Told by the biggest joke Heartland City's ever spawned." Tidus hissed. "And considering what you've done, it's a wonder to me how you have any friends left."

"So what?" asked Yuma. "I never have a bad thing to say about anyone or anything, and I'm proud of that! It means I'm a nice person!"

Tidus paused for a brief moment before asking his next question. "Is that why you knowingly helped Astral in his war against the Barians? Why you brought those world-ending beings over to ours? And then befriended the only one of them who took away the one person left in Heartland that I cared about?! Because you're _nice_?"

"Sure!" said Yuma. "But I also did it because it was the right thing to do!" Then he backpedaled. "Only it wasn't fighting them. Well, I mean, we _did_ fight them, but it wasn't like we were trying to destroy them or anything!"

"Then why was Astral planning on doing that as soon as he got the Numeron Code?"

"I…" Yuma started to reply before his voice trailed off. Try as he might, there was nothing he could come up with to argue back. "I… I stopped him," he managed at last. "Sure, he was planning on destroying Barian World, but I stopped him. I changed his mind. I showed him he didn't have to do it."

"But that's not the only sketchy thing," Tidus went on. "Don't you think it's a little odd that Astral recruited _you_ to help him fight Barian World rather than someone more suited, like say, the government? I mean, that's what they're there for. But instead of going to the people who were best equipped to deal with it like a responsible person, Astral chose to put _you_ and your friends in the line of fire. He made all of you participate in a war between worlds. Do you realize how that looks from an outside perspective? A being from another world recruits the help of some middle schoolers to help him retrieve a bunch of deadly weapons that come together and form a line of code that essentially makes him a _god?_ That doesn't sound sketchy to you? I mean, you guys could've been _killed_. What kind of person does that to innocent people?"

Yuma struggled to reply. "Well, I mean… when you put it that way, it does sound a little off," he admitted before regaining his nerve. "But it wasn't like that! Astral chose me because I'm the one my father left the Emperor's Key with!"

"So wait a minute, did your dad _know_ about Astral World and Barian World when he gave you the Key?"

"Yeah."

Tidus just stood there, his face a mixture of emotions as he tried to process what Yuma just told him. First there was a mixture of shock and disbelief, then finally disgust. "That's terrible!" he said finally. "Your dad was _in_ on the whole thing?"

"My dad wouldn't have given me the Key if he didn't think I could handle it!" Yuma retorted, a tad defensive. "But still though, don't you think it's incredibly irresponsible of your dad to just let you fight in this war? I mean, what kind of parent would do that to their kid?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've been running numbers in the Heartland Division of Trial and Venture – an actual detective agency, not a bunch of untrained kids. You've been at the epicenter of everything that's befallen Heartland City. And you're telling me what started it all was a gold-plated birthright from an irresponsible tomb raider? Who would want to emulate someone like that?"

Before Yuma could respond, Tidus's Hydraul Hollow Gorge lowered its head to meet its master's heightened one, their four piercing eyes causing the Heartland Champion's words to falter on his lips. "And the worst part of it is that I used to believe in how beneficial those Numbers could be too. Earlier, when my investigations were closing in on you and all you've done, the friends I made along the way had Numbers too. And I believed just what those two on the precipice did – or pretended to in order to play you – that it was just the cell-worthy that happened upon these.

Tidus' look hardened. "But then the sky turned red and that apocalypse cult came out, one of whom was your friend! And still is, after everything you _let him take for granted!_ Well, I'm done. I've seen what the Barians are like when they get their hands on power. There's only one legacy worth preserving now. And it's not Astral World's, it's not the Barians, and it's certainly not the cult of Tsukumo…"

He paused for a moment, taking a breath to calm down and change his tone. "Honestly Yuma, I have nothing against you. I think you're a pretty good kid, and that's why I'm concerned, because I don't think you realize just how sketchy your life is. Your dad gives you a pendant that he knows contains this being who was created to help his world gain an advantage over their enemies and who recruits both you and your friends to help him acquire one hundred potential weapons that combine to form a power that makes him a god capable of rewriting reality as we know it, and none of that sets off any alarm bells in your head? If you were someone who didn't have the Key, wouldn't you be worried about Astral's intentions? Wouldn't you be terrified that there's this being out there who can change reality on a whim, and there's nothing you could do about it? Any sane, logical person would be greatly alarmed, and the fact you're so okay with it only makes it worse. I mean, what's stopping Astral from rewriting reality to suit his whim _right now_?"

"Me. And all my friends."

A beat. "You're serious."

"Dead serious." Yuma put his fist to his chest. "Maybe somebody having friends is news to you, Tidus-"

"Wow. That's not what my point is. At all."

"What?" Astral stepped in here. "His point isn't that he dislikes the notion of friendship, Yuma. His point is that a relationship such as ours at its beginning was ripe for manipulation; that I'm taking advantage of your naiveté without you knowing. And to be fair, he has a point; looking at it from a different point of view, I can see how it could alarm someone."

"Oh," came the simple reply before Yuma turned his attention back to the Aspect duelist. "Well maybe it alarms you, Tidus, but I never thought for a moment that Astral was using me and my friends for some nefarious plot! That's just not who he is, and the fact that you think otherwise shows you don't have any idea who he is or what he's really like! I've gotten to know Astral during the time we were Number Hunters together, so I think I have the right to say this: He's not the type of person who would disregard people's feelings like that, and if you spent even one day with Astral you'd know that too! And by the way, they're my friends, not cultists!"

"Except he did disregard your feelings," Tidus pointed out. "What about that Duel he forced you into? The one where if you lost, he'd destroy Barian World with the Numeron Code and erase everyone's memories of him?"

"How do you know about that?"

"You'd be surprised what a well-trained detective can unearth," said Tidus, patting his Hollow Gorge. "There's nothing in my files on you and Astral that can't be traced back to Astral World. Now answer my question. Astral had the code and forced you to Duel for how he used it. He was threatening to take away everything you two had achieved together at the drop of a hat, and there would've been nothing you could've done to stop him!"

Yuma paused for a while, collecting his answer. "Once Astral had the Code, he could've done it at any time," he began, "But instead he challenged me to a Duel and gave me a chance to stop him. If Astral was as scary as you're trying to make him out to be, I don't think he would've done that."

He paused. "I mean, I get that in your own way you're trying to look out for me Tidus, but everything you're worried about has already happened. That disaster you're so frightened of never happened, because I prevented it. I know your heart's in the right place, but you're a little late to the party here. The fact is, Astral's never going to hurt anybody, because he's got me and all my friends to give him a reason not to. And also because he's just as good a person as we are!" Astral smiled warmly from his position behind Yuma. It was always good to be reminded of how much faith Yuma had in him.

"So if you have a point you'd like to make to me Tidus," finished Yuma, extending his arm and pointing his index finger downward, "Do it through the Duel! Because it's your turn now, and I'm getting tired of standing around talking!"

Tidus sighed. "My point was that nobody should have that kind of power. But since you've decided to stick to your guns, I have no choice but to stick to mine."

He drew for his turn and looked at his card. "I activate the Spell Card Golden Pearls of Hydris! I banish three cards from the bottom of my Deck, but add one of them to my hand _and_ shuffle this card into my Deck!" He picked up the three cards that his Duel Disk's shuffler had ejected. "So I'll banish Hydrauls Huntress, Rising Fury, and Webbedspinner from my Deck, but ultimately add Webbedspinner to my hand! Next, I'll activate my Hydraul Arsenal's effect! I can reveal the top card of my Deck to send cards from the top of my Deck equal to the number of cards in my hand to the Graveyard if the revealed card is a 'Hydr' card, then if I sent four or more cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard this way, I can either return one card on the field to the hand or destroy it!"

He took the top card of his Deck and showed it to Yuma. "So I'll reveal my Whirlpool Hydraulegend Quarri and-"

"Not so fast!" interrupted Yuma, thrusting out his hand. "I activate Utopia Infinity's effect! By using one Overlay Unit, I can change the effect of your Arsenal to negating the next attack this turn from a monster either one of us controls!"

"Fine!" replied Tidus. "But my Quarri's effect activates! Since it was revealed from my Deck by a card effect, I can pay five hundred Life Points to Special Summon it instead of returning it to my Deck!"

He tapped some buttons on his Duel Disk and placed the card in his Monster Zone. Right after he did so, an enormous blue and red serpentine creature emerged onto his field in Defense Position **(Tidus's LP 4000 - 3500).**

"There's more you should know about!" Yuma announced. "Since I detached Number Thirty-Nine: Utopia to activate Utopia Infinity's first effect, I can now negate the effects of one face-up card on the field! So I'll negate the effects of your Brainwave!" Seeing Tidus's grimace, he went on. "But that's not all! I activate Utopia Infinity's Quick Effect! Once a turn when a monster's Summon, attack or effect is negated, I can have him gain the effects of one of those monsters until this turn ends! So now Brainwave's effects come to work for me!"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Tidus murmured. "In any case, not only is Quarri still Special Summoned, but its effect activates, and you can't Special Summon non-Water monsters for the rest of this turn!" He took a card from his hand and played it. "And next I'll activate Foolish Burial to send my Hydraul Headmaster – Big Gulf from my Deck to my Graveyard, which enables me to activate its effect! I can destroy one 'Hydr' card I control to Special Summon it from my Graveyard! So I'll destroy my Arsenal to bring him to the field! Or I _would_ , if my Legendary Conductor of Hydris didn't protect Arsenal from being destroyed!"

As Big Gulf appeared on his field, Tidus triumphantly pointed toward Utopia Infinity. "Now I activate Big Gulf's other effect! By shuffling it into the Deck, I can return one monster you control to the hand! So I'll return your Utopia Infinity to your Extra Deck and be done with it!"

"I activate Utopia Beyond's effect!" countered Yuma. "By using one Overlay Unit, I can banish one face-up Xyz Monster I control, and if I do, I can Special Summon one Utopia monster from my Graveyard and then gain twelve-fifty Life Points! So I'll banish Utopia Infinity and Special Summon Utopia to avoid your Big Gulf's washout and restock my score !"

"You'll do no such thing!" Tidus declared. "Quarri's effect prevents you from Special Summoning non-Water monsters, so Utopia's staying where it is!" He took a card from his hand and activated it. "But that's not all I'll be doing to interrupt your strategy! I activate the Trap Card ' **Parallel Dimension Deepsea Trench** ' from my hand since you activated two or more effects of monsters on the field this turn! This card banishes one monster from the field, then Special Summons one Level Seven or higher Aqua, Fish or Sea Serpent-Type monster from my Banished Zone! So I'll banish my Quarri and your Utopia Beyond, then bring back Quarri! And since you activated two or more effects of monsters you control this turn, I can treat this Special Summon as being through Quarri's Summoning conditions!"

Both monsters left the field. Immediately afterward, Quarri reappeared right where it had been. But Tidus wasn't done. "Next I'll Summon ' **Hydraul Webbedspinner** ' in Attack Mode! [Webbedspinner/ And with that, my forces for this turn are assembled!" He thrust his arm out. "Now, Hydraul Brainwave, attack Utopia Infinity!"

"Your attack's not going through!" Yuma retorted. "Because in case you forgot, Infinity changed your Arsenal's effect to negate the first attack from monsters you control this turn! So now Brainwave's attack is negated through Arsenal's effect!"

"No matter," said Tidus, "I still have my other monsters. Hydraul Webbedspinner, attack Yuma directly!"

"Arrrgh!" Yuma grunted as Webbedspinner's attack struck his midsection **(LP 1500 - 800)**. "And next, I'll have Quarri do what Brainwave couldn't! Attack his Utopia Infinity!"

"Not so fast!" said Yuma, "I activate Infinity's effect that it got from Brainwave! I'll send five cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard, and if any of them are Level Two or lower monsters, I can change the attack target to one of _your_ monsters! So here I go!" He tentatively put his hand to his Deck. _I hope this works._

Without further delay, he took the top five cards and looked at them. "YES!" he took one of them and revealed it to Tidus. "One of the cards I just sent is the Level Two Gagaga Child! So now-" he placed her in his Graveyard slot with the other cards he'd sent "- I'll redirect the attack to _your_ Webbedspinner!"

"Nice try," said Tidus, "But Webbedspinner can't be attacked while I control other Hydraul monsters."

"Fine then! I'll make your Hollow Gorge the attack target instead!" said Yuma, pointing to the monster in question. Almost immediately, Quarri turned its head on Hollow Gorge and shot a blast of water at that monster, shattering it to pieces.

Tidus shouted, "Well, if I can't destroy Infinity, I'll go after your Dododo Wizard instead! Arsenal, blow it to pieces!" Yuma could do nothing but watch as Dododo Wizard bit the dust. "I end my turn," said Tidus, satisfied.

"Good, my move then! I draw!" Yuma added his drawn card to his hand. _Only two cards,_ he noted. _But I know_ just _how to make the most of them!_ "I activate the Equip Spell ' **Gagagarevenge** '!" he announced. "This card brings back one Gagaga monster from my Graveyard and equips to it! So now Gagaga Caesar gets another go!" He beamed proudly as his monster returned to the field in a flurry of lights. "And next, I activate Gagaga Dean's effect from my Graveyard! Since I have a Gagaga monster out, I can Special Summon her!"

"And that's not all, either!" he went on as Gagaga Dean made her return to play. "Gagaga Dean _also_ gains half the original Attack Points of the monster that enabled her comeback! So now she'll gain half of Gagaga Caesar's power!"

As he spoke, the two monsters held their hands up, glowing yellow to signify the transfer of energy **(Gagaga Dean's ATK: 1900 - 2700)**. "Next I activate Gagaga Caesar's effect! I banish one monster from my Graveyard to change all the Levels of all face-up monsters I control to that monster's Level! So I'll banish the Level Six Gagaga Head to make Caesar and Dean Level Six!" He grinned at Tidus. "I bet you know what's coming now." Not waiting for his response, he went on. "I overlay Level Six Gagaga Caesar and Gagaga Dean!"

His two monsters glowed their respective colors – yellow for Caesar, purple for Dean – and shot up into the sky as a glowing red spiral formed on the ground beneath them right in front of Yuma. "With these two monsters," Yuma bellowed, "I build the Overlay Network, and Xyz Summon ' **Gauntlet Launcher'** in Attack Mode!"

Tidus raised a pleasantly-surprised eyebrow as a big-kneed warrior clad in red armor hit the field. **[Gauntlet/EARTH/Warrior/Xyz/Rank 6/2400 ATK/2800 DEF]** "Well, this is _refreshing_ ," he snarked. "I thought you were gonna Summon another Utopia monster."

"Yeah well, I have more surprises in me than just Utopia!" Yuma shot back. "When it comes to people like you and what you're doing, I'll pull out any stops I have to!"

"People like me, huh?" mused Tidus. "View must be a beaut from that glass house of yours, child."

"I'm fine where I am!" said Yuma. "In any case, Gagagarevenge's effect now activates! When it's sent to the Graveyard because the monster it was equipped to was used as an Xyz Material, all Xyz Monsters I control gain three hundred Attack Points!"

With that, his Gauntlet Launcher and Utopia Infinity both glowed with golden-yellow light **(Gauntlet Launcher ATK: 2400 - 2700; Utopia Infinity ATK: 2500 - 2800)**. "Next I activate Gauntlet Launcher's effect!" said Yuma. "By using one Overlay Unit, he can destroy one monster you control! So I'll use _both_ his Overlay Units to destroy both Quarri _and_ your Arsenal!"

Before Tidus could react, an explosion of water rocked the field. When it died down, Quarri was nowhere to be seen. Arsenal, however…

"Hey, what gives?!" asked Yuma, noticing it still on the field. "That monster's supposed to be destroyed!"

"Someone's forgotten about Legendary Conductor of Hydris," scolded Tidus. "It protects its holder from destruction once a turn, remember?"

"Yeah well, good thing I have more than that to destroy it then!" said Yuma, thrusting his arm forward. "Utopia Infinity, attack Hydraul Arsenal!" With a slash of Infinity's saber, Arsenal broke apart. "Next, Gauntlet Launcher, attack Hydraul Brainwave!"

Tidus's face betrayed his irritation as both his monsters bit the dust. "My turn's done!" said Yuma.

"Good!" snapped Tidus, drawing for his turn. "I activate the Spell Card ' **Strife and Depth** '! This card lets me add an Aqua-Type monster whose Attack Points are between one hundred and five hundred from my Deck to my hand! Then, if the top card in my Graveyard is a monster, I can banish cards from the top of my Deck equal to that monster's Level, and if so, place that monster on either the top or bottom of my Deck! So first I'll add Hydraul Herald from my Deck to my hand! Then, since Level Two Hydraul Brainwave is the top card of my Graveyard, I'll banish two cards to put Brainwave at the bottom of my Deck!" He did so. "Next I'll switch Webbedspinner to Defense Mode and Set a monster. That ends my turn," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Yay! My go then!" said Yuma, drawing for his turn. " _Aaaaaaaaaaaaw, SNAP!_ " he exclaimed, overjoyed. He looked from the card he'd drawn to Tidus. "We're in the endgame now, Tidus," he said confidently, revealing the card he'd drawn. "I activate De-Xyz! In order to use it, I have to send one monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, but in exchange, this card returns one Xyz Monster I control to the Extra Deck and Special Summons its Xyz Materials to my field!" Placing a card from his Deck into his Graveyard slot, he went on, "So I'll send my Dododo Warrior to my Graveyard to return my Gauntlet Launcher to my Extra Deck and Special Summon Gagagas Caesar and Dean!"

With a flash, Gauntlet Launcher was gone, replaced by the two monsters that had formed it. "Next I activate Gagaga Dean's effect! On my Main Phase, while she's Level Three or higher, I can reduce her Level by one to add a Gagaga monster from my Deck to my hand whose Level equals her current Level! So since she's now Level Four, I'll add Level Four Gagaga Gardna from my Deck to my hand! And I'll also activate Gagaga Caesar's effect to banish Level Six Dododo Warrior from my Graveyard to make his and Dean's Levels Six!" As his monsters glowed, the red spiral formed beneath them, and they vanished into it. "With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network, and Xyz Summon ' **Sword Breaker'** in Attack Mode!"

Once again, Tidus was amused to see a brand-new Xyz Monster appear on Yuma's field. **[Sword Breaker/EARTH/Warrior/Xyz/Rank 6/2700 ATK/1000 DEF]** "You subverted my expectations yet again," he mused. "I figured you'd bring back Gauntlet Launcher."

"Yeah well, I'm full of surprises!" said Yuma. "Now, Sword Breaker's effect is a bit like Gauntlet Launcher's, only with an extra twist! By using one Overlay Unit, I can declare a monster Type, and if Sword Breaker battles a monster of that Type, that monster's destroyed!" He pointed to Tidus's Set monster. "So I'll use one Overlay Unit and declare the Aqua-Type! Now, Sword Breaker, attack Tidus's Set monster!"

To Yuma's surprise, Tidus wasn't bothered to see his monster destroyed. "You just made your last mistake of this Duel, Yuma!" he said. "Reveal, ' **Hydraul Herald** '! When it's destroyed, I can Special Summon one Level Two or Level Four Hydraul monster from my Deck, and if so, reveal three cards from the bottom of my Deck! So first I'll Special Summon a second Hydraul Rising Fury, and then I'll reveal Hydraul Brainwave along with ' **Leva, Hydraulegend Shorecrasher** ' and ' **Ikkaku the Hydraulegend of Permafrost** '! And if you've learned anything from Quarri, it's that when a Hydraulegend monster is revealed, I can pay five hundred Life Points to Special Summon it! So I'll do this for _both_ my Hydraulegends, _and_ activate my Brainwave's effect! When it's revealed from my Deck by a card effect, I can send it to the Graveyard!"

From Yuma's perspective, everything seemed to happen all at once: First Tidus placed his Brainwave in his Graveyard slot, then as Herald broke apart, two massive creatures appeared, one resembling an ogre **[Leva/WATER/Beast-Warrior/Level 11/? ATK/4000 DEF]** ; the other a giant whale made of ice **[Ikkaku/WATER/Rock/Level 10/400 ATK/3600 DEF]** **(Tidus's LP 3500 - 2500)** "And you want to know the best part?" asked Tidus. "Ikkaku's a Rock-Type monster while Leva's a Beast-Warrior, so your Sword Breaker won't do a thing to either of them!"

Yuma gritted his teeth. "That's not all though," Tidus went on, calmer. "Leva's effect changes the Attack Points of all monsters I control to equal half of my opponent's Life Points. Lucky for you I guess."

 _That doesn't make any sense!_ Yuma thought as Leva's effect took hold. _Why make all his monsters so weak? Now they all only have four hundred Attack Points, and that's way too weak to do anything to either one of my monsters!_ With nothing else to do however, all he could say was, "I end my turn."

"I'm up then," said Tidus. He drew for his turn. "I Tribute Leva to Tribute Summon my Hydraul Submerger!" As his new creature appeared on the field, two things happened. First, the Attack Points of all his monsters returned to normal. Second… "And now I activate Hydraul Submerger's effect!" he announced. "I reveal one card from the bottom of my Deck for each card I currently control, and Submerger gains four hundred Attack Points for each Aqua-Type monster revealed this way!" Taking his Deck out of its slot, he revealed the bottom three cards. "I reveal Hydraul Barrage, Silver Pearls of Hydris, and Hydraul Great White Wail!"

"That's a shame!" said Yuma. "You only revealed one Aqua-Type monster, so Submerger only gains four hundred Attack Points!"

"Oh, but each of these three cards has its own effect!" shouted Tidus. "I activate all three! First I Special Summon ' **Hydraul Great White Wail** ' in Defense Mode! Next, I'll send ' **Silver Pearls of Hydris** ' to the Graveyard to add the Field Spell ' **Hydris, the Sunken Capital** ' from my Deck to my hand! Lastly, I send ' **Hydraul Barrage** ' to the Graveyard and banish Leva from my Graveyard to reveal one card from the bottom of my Deck for every one thousand Defense Points that Leva had! And since it had four thousand Defense Points, I reveal... ' **Diagala the High Tidal Hydraulegend', 'Hydraul Deepsea Call', 'Hydraul Harborer – Cecae'** and **'Hydraul Shipwreck'**! Next, Diagala's effect activates! I'll pay five hundred Life Points to Special Summon it, even though I have to banish Ikkaku in the process!"

As the great ice sculpture of a monster vanished, a thick mist overtook the field, ominous in its nature **(Tidus's LP 2500 - 2000)**. But Yuma had no time to register it, for out of the mist came what could only be described as every pirate's nightmare. As Yuma, Astral and every onlooker watched in abject horror, the ghastly, almost spectral form of Davy Jones himself appeared slowly out of the mist. "Diagala has a very useful effect," said Tidus. "He gains one hundred Attack Points for every card in either of our Banished Zones; that's five for me and three for you, for a total of eight. So Diagala gains eight hundred Attack Points." **(Diagala's ATK 1000 - 1800)**

"Next," Tidus went on, "I'll switch Webbedspinner back to Attack Mode, and now it's Battle Phase time! Hydraul Submerger, attack Yuma's Sword Breaker!"

"But why would you do that?!" asked Yuma, confused. "Your monster only has fourteen hundred Attack Points, so it'll only destroy itself!"

"That's the _point_ , smart one," said Tidus derisively as his Submerger bit the dust **(Tidus's LP 2000 - 700)**. "Because now that it's destroyed and in the Graveyard, Diagala gains another hundred Attack Points – or so it _would,_ if not for its other effect! For each Graveyard with ten or more cards in it, Diagala gains one thousand Attack Points! So now its strength rises to twenty-eight hundred!"

The implications dawned on Yuma as Diagala's strength rose to its final score. "You were right about one thing Yuma," said Tidus triumphantly. "This _is_ the endgame." As a chill ran through Yuma's entire body, Tidus lowered his arm. "Diagala, attack his Sword Breaker!"

Unable to do anything, Yuma just watched helplessly as his Sword Breaker broke apart, its remains scattered throughout the field (Yuma's LP 800 - 700). With wide eyes, he watched as Tidus turned to his last monster.

Tidus, for his part, felt vindicated. _One more attack and this guy's gone!_ he thought. _All I have to do is just-_

But he didn't finish his thought, for all of a sudden his surroundings faded, losing their color until they became a dull gray. Confused, he looked up to see the Dystopia appear in the sky. _What the…_ he opened up a screen in front of him. "Akaine, what's the deal?"

"Akaine?!" Three voices - Yuma's, Shark's and Rio's-echoed the surprise Tidus felt at the new entrant to the chaos.

"Wait, Shark! Rio! I thought you were all down there - where's everybody else?" Yuma asked.

"Right now, too busy standing watch over Kite!" Rio replied.

"And considering how this guy's Hydraulegends nearly knocked us off our perch, I'm starting to envy them!" added her brother. "Speaking of such, what's _this_ about, Tidus?!"

"Hard as this may be for you to process, abductor, not _every_ catastrophe is the fault of someone unlucky enough to be near a Barian!" Tidus roared out, turning back to the still-obscured figure hovering above his jewel-encrusted Duel Disk. "Now what _this_ about, Akaine?"

" _It started with Ev-"_ Another bolt of light cut through the feed, almost blinding Tidus. _"-and her suit went nuts! I'm pulling back everyone I can as quick as possible, we're going to lose her otherwise! Do you have eyes on Target Three?"_

"Give me a turn and I'll _beat_ Target Three!" shouted Tidus. "I'm telling you Ak-"

KRAK!

Three lightning bolts shot from the sky at Tidus's words, finally cutting off the illusion of the world above and revealing the bleached sky surrounding the Dystopia-as well as the dead planet it rested above – in the Astral sky.

The first bolt from that fury bisected the Aspect duelist's Hydraulegend Diagala. Its scream of pain finally brought ht reality of the Duel into both Yuma and Astral's minds, and they watched with horror as the great beast disintegrated in the path of that beam. Tidus's Duel Disk started to spark from the energy discharge, and the resulting aftershock caused the game he had with Yuma to terminate early.

Yuma would not have a chance to celebrate, as the other two hit near the tower where Kite's trajectory ended, and with Shark and Rio's cries of "KITE!" finally overpowering Tidus's curse at the close contact, chaos ensued.

" _Tidus! Never mind that Astral creep and Yuma; I'm going for a blind recall! Hold on!"_

Tidus paled. "No wait, _you_ hold on-we're on a precipice, if your porting goes off now, we'll be stuck-" Too late, as the Duel Disk Tidus had on finally erupted with red light, as it swallowed up both Duelists and Tori Meadows below them. When it finally died down, Yuma, Tidus and Tori were gone. The waterlogged plateau they were on fell apart with their disappearance.

"YUMA!" Shark charged to the edge of the platform, only to be held back by his sister's hand.

"Reginald, stop! Right now, we don't even know where they've gone! Let's just try to make sure nobody else disappears too! Hurry, we need to regroup!"

Biting back several curses of his own, Reginald Kastle looked desperately back at the black planet in the chalk-white sky. The receding comet of red light had come to roost at the castle floating above it.

"You BETTER get back home to us, Yuma."

And with that, the two siblings braved the white bolts from the Dystopia on all sides as they made their way down to Kite.

* * *

 **DUEL ACADEMY/HERO TIMELINE/8:58 PM**

The humanoid mass of chrome forming before Jaden's eyes finished molding into two large blasters on each arm. The light then faded, allowing Jaden a glimpse at the new creature before him - a female form in greyscale, although its glowing red eyes indicated it wasn't entirely human. "This is it, Yuki!" called Ceren triumphantly, "Behold a new kind of monster of my own creation! This is ' _Paraidux Patrol – Bertha the Double Barrel!'_ "

"Okay."

A beat. "That's _it?_ " asked Ceren, a little let down. "Just 'okay?'"

Jaden shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you," he said. "I've been through a lot, so I'm just not feeling anything from Bertha right now." He looked up at her. _Not like I'm not gonna worry about how I'm gonna beat her,_ he added to himself.

"Well maybe Bertha's effects will get a rise out of you!" snapped Ceren. "Her first effect gives her five hundred Attack Points for each Advent Counter on her! So since I used one monster and four Spells, she gains five Advent Counters!" As he spoke, four spheres appeared around Bertha, signifying her newfound strength **[ATK/DEF: ? - 2500]**.

"Next," he continued, "I'll Set one card face-down, and then activate Bertha's second effect! I can give her three _more_ Advent Counters to destroy one Paraidux Spell or Trap Card I control along with a Spell or Trap Card _you_ control! So I'll add three more Advent Counters to Bertha to destroy my face-down card along with your pesky Rainbow Veil!"

"No!" Jaden despaired as three more spheres appeared around Bertha **[ATK/DEF 2500 - 4000]** , shattering the multicolored layer of protection around Air Neos. "But that's not all!" boasted Ceren. "The cards that were destroyed are now Set to their controller's opponent's side of the field!"

 _What? Why?_ Jaden could only wonder as Ceren's destroyed card now appeared on his side of the field, while his own Rainbow Veil card appeared face-down on Ceren's. "Now there's only one more piece of business to take care of," said Ceren, pointing to Air Neos. "Bertha, attack his Air Neos!"

Jaden could only look on helplessly as Bertha's cannons shot down his winged monster (Jaden's LP 2700 - 1200). "Alright then," said Ceren, checking his hand and field. "That seems to be about it, so I'll end my turn."

"I'm glad you did," said Jaden dryly as he drew for his turn. Frowning at his draw, he shrugged resignedly. "I Set one card face-down and end my turn."

"I…" Ceren paused, struggling to find the words. "That was so underwhelming." Jaden simply shrugged in response. "Oh well, no matter." He drew for his turn. "I wish I could say this was a good Duel Yuki, but… honestly, it wasn't. But then again, I don't know; maybe it suits you to be defeated while cornered like a rat." With nothing else to say, he pointed to the poor sap he was about to take out. "Time to put you down for good," he said with finality. "Goodbye and good riddance. Bertha, take him out."

On his command, the giant chrome woman opened fire. "Not so fast!" Jaden burst out suddenly. "I activate my face-down card, Draining Shield! This card negates your attack _and_ adds your monster's Attack Points to my Life Points! So forget about taking me out this turn!"

"Son of a…" Ceren let his curse fall short as Bertha's attack was neutralizing by a barrier of light, minimizing the blasts and turning them into little sparkles that drifted down onto Jaden (LP 1200 - 5200). "Fine. I end my turn."

"Great," said Jaden, drawing for his. But he grimaced at the card he'd drawn. _What?! Hidden Armory? What am I supposed to do with this?_

" _What kind of question is that?"_ asked Yubel in his mind. _"There are plenty of cards in your Deck that you can activate in the Graveyard."_

 _Right, yeah…_ Jaden looked at Bertha, then at his Deck. _There's more than one way to use a card._ "I activate Hidden Armory!" he announced. "I have to send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard to use it, but in exchange it lets me add an Equip Spell Card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand!"

He took the top card of his Deck, looked at it, smiled without letting Ceren see, and placed it into his Duel Disk's Graveyard slot before taking out his Deck and removing a card from it. Adding the card to his hand, he shuffled his Deck and put it back before showing the card to Ceren. "I'll add my Element Sword to my hand!"

"That was pointless," Ceren pointed out. "What good was adding that card – and a mediocre one at that – if there's no monster for you to use it on?"

Jaden simply shrugged. "Guess you'll just have to find out. I end my turn."

From where she and Banner floated, Ehris narrowed her eyes at the redcoat. _"What was_ that _supposed to be just now?"_

Banner just grinned. _"Wait and see,"_ he said knowingly. _"This is Jaden being clever."_

" _I fail to see how that's going to help against Ceren."_

Banner looked aside at Ehris. _"Keep watching,"_ he said simply, yet sagely. Ehris cocked a bemused eyebrow at him before returning her attention to the event below.

"Fine!" said Ceren annoyedly as he drew for his turn. "Bertha, attack him again!"

"No shot!" retorted Jaden, removing a card from his Duel Disk's Graveyard slot and putting it into his pocket. "I banish Necro Gardna from my Graveyard to negate that attack!"

"Motherf..." Ceren stopped himself and calmed himself down. "When did you… oh right, when you played Hidden Armory… Honestly, I should've seen something like that coming from you, even if the odds were that small. Anyway, I end my turn."

"My move then," said Jaden, drawing for it. _Oh, come on!_ He sighed. "I'll throw down a face-down and end my turn."

Ceren said nothing, simply drawing for his turn. "I'm not falling for the same trick twice, so first I'll Set one card face-down, then activate Bertha's effect to give her three more Advent Counters to destroy one Paraidux Spell or Trap Card I control and one Spell or Trap Card you control. So I'll destroy both cards that we just Set!"

"You'll fail again, Ceren!" Jaden shot back. "I activate my face-down card, Residual Reflection! By banishing two monsters from my Graveyard, this card reduces all damage I take this turn to zero! So I'll banish Air Neos and Nebulos to keep myself around for another turn!"

"Dammit." Ceren let out a groan combined with a sigh as Bertha acquired three more spheres (ATK/DEF 4000 - 5500) and shot them at Jaden's already-deployed card. _Worse still,_ he thought, _it's already off the field, so it won't come to my side after Bertha's effect resolves._ Feeling annoyed but not knowing what else he could do, he shrugged tiredly. "I end my turn. Go."

"Sure," said Jaden, feeling just as tired all of a sudden but drawing for his turn. "I throw down a face-down and end my turn."

"Goddammit, _again?!_ "

Jaden shrugged. "I'm only making do with what my Deck gives me."

Ceren sigh-groaned again, drawing for his turn without saying a word. _Okay, even if I target his face-down card with Bertha's effect, he'll probably just activate it in response. Then again, attacking him_ without _destroying it would be both negligent and idiotic. Then_ again, he added with a glance at Bertha, _You can never have too many Attack Points on a monster._ He looked at the card he drew. _Damn, a monster._ He looked at his hand. _No more Spells or Traps. And I can't use Jaden's for Bertha's effect since they're not Paraidux cards._ He looked at Jaden's field again. _But that's assuming he's not bluffing…_ Eyeing Jaden one last time, he thought, _Fuck it. Even if he is, I'm calling it._ "Bertha, attack him directly!"

 _There's no way,_ he thought. _No way he's gonna get out of this a fourth time. There's just no way._

"I activate my Trap!" he heard Jaden yell. "Necro Fusion!"

 _God. Dammit._

"Necro Fusion lets me Fusion Summon a monster by banishing its Fusion Materials from my Graveyard, face-down!" Jaden explained. "So while I'm losing Neos and Sparkman for the rest of the Duel, I'm hoping that my _new_ Hero will make up! Say hello to Elemental Hero The Shining!"

To Ceren's chagrin, a spiral nexus opened up above Jaden's side of the field, accompanied by Elemental Heroes Neos and Sparkman. The two immediately overlaid each other as their bodies twisted, coalesced, and entered the nexus, which promptly shot out a heroically-built figure clad in white and outlined in gold, with a ringed entourage that was also gold. But to his surprise, it knelt down and crossed its arms in front **[Elemental HERO The Shining: Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 8/ATK 2600/DEF 2100]**.

 _I don't get it,_ he thought. _Why Defense Mode?_ He checked the field. _Well, it's obvious he did it to protect himself._

" _Defense Mode?"_ asked Ehris in disbelief. _"What an idiot. I know there's nothing he can do to counterattack, but at the same time it's not like that monster'll be good for defending either."_ She turned to Banner. _"All in all, this student of yours is nothing like the Supreme King."_

" _He's not,"_ answered Banner. _"He only just got back after going through a whole ordeal in another dimension, so it's understandable that he's not acting like himself. And to make something quite clear, the person down there now is who he really is. Whatever this 'Supreme King' business is about, it's just something that took up a small duration of his life."_

Ehris glared daggers at him at that last line. _"That 'small duration,'"_ she hissed, _"Took more from me than you'll ever have in your one miserable lifetime. You have NO idea what I've lost, so before you go defending him, maybe consider the people whose lives he's affected."_ She turned curtly back to the Duel, indicating that this would be the final word. Banner let the matter go and did likewise.

"Whatever," Ceren said. "Bertha's still stronger than that thing, so I'll just have her attack it." And with a quick wave of his hand, The Shining was gone as soon as it had come. "Shame it couldn't stick around," he added wryly. Then his grin faded as he saw Jaden's. "Crap, you _wanted_ that to happen, didn't you?"

"Do I really need to answer that?" asked Jaden in a knowing tone. "Meanwhile, The Shining's effect puts Neos in my hand and Nebulos back in my Fusion Deck!"

Ceren was too exasperated to say anything in response, so he simply decided not to, other than "I end my turn," of course. Jaden then drew and smiled at what he had gained.

"I activate the Spell Card Hero's Return!" Jaden announced. "This card brings back one Level Four or lower Warrior-Type monster from my Graveyard, so I'll use it to bring back Elemental Hero Blazeman!"

"Next," he went on, "Blazeman's effect activates! Whenever he's Normal or Special Summoned, I get to add a Polymerization from my Deck to my hand!" Without wasting time, he did just that. "Next I'll activate Polymerization, to fuse Blazeman on my field with Neos in my hand to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Nebulos one more time!"After Nebulos reappeared on his field, Jaden continued. "Next I'll activate Nebulos's effect to Tribute him to bring out _exactly_ who I need to bring Bertha down! Come on down, Elemental Hero Nova Neos!"

A gargantuan pyrokinetic appeared before Ceren and Bertha, taking the place of Nebulos. The white-armored Fusion Monster flexed both of its hands – one clawed, one not – and finally settled on Jaden's field. **[Nova Neos/Warrior/LIGHT/Level 10/3000 ATK/2500 DEF]**

"Now, Nova Neos – attack that Bertha with everything you've got! **Supernova Serration**!"

As Nova Neos took to the night sky – and rocketed past Ehris and Banner, both sent into tumbles from its wake – Ceren was at a loss for words. "How do you think this is going to go, Jaden?! Your new Neos is powerful, but my Bertha surpasses it in every…" A bloodcurdling scream cut off Ceren, and he turned to his Advent Monster in shock. Bertha's head had shot up in a cry to the skies as its silver skin was now covered in flames that formed into a silhouette of Nova Neos. Its Attack and Defense Points soon went in a different direction from Nova Neos – straight down. **[Bertha's ATK/DEF: 5500/5000 - 500/500]**

"Pride does come before a fall, doesn't it Ceren? And the falls don't come faster than with Nova's new ability, which turns the Attack and Defense Points of every monster you've got down to five hundred! Neos, you've got your target, now finish this Duel!" At Jaden's words, Nova Neos came rocketing down from the sky, its impact with the slumped Bertha producing a great explosion that both of them had to shield their eyes from.

When the smoke cleared, all that was left on Ceren's dissipating field was the shocked Duelist himself, and his LP bar emptying out to **0.**

"Now Ceren, I believe you had some terms you said you'd agree to." Jaden pronounced. Yubel chimed in almost immediately. " _Well, well. That's certainly a new Hero you pulled out of a hat. Perhaps I'm not the only person you treated yourself to today, eh...?"_

Jaden's response was incredibly different from what he would have said a month ago. _Yeah, I guess._

Ceren, after a long period of silence, finally grinned. "Guess I do have that word to keep up to." His grin then dropped. "It's a pity I won't be the only one paying it."

"Wait, what are you talking about?!" Jaden, Banner, and Yubel all belted out that statement, but Ehris heard only two of those voices as a shudder ran through her body. Frantically looking around for the source of that shock, she quickly opened a golden rift with her apple and left through it, the gateway snapping shut and sending Banner plummeting to earth as Ceren continued his monologue.

"I'm far from the only one fed up with how little regard you've shown to the victims of your actions, and before I leave, I'm going to bring forth the leader of our little group to guarantee we mete out your punishment! I _did not_ spend a calendar year pulling my family back together to see _you_ ruin our newfound purpose in life!" Ceren pulled out his Duel Disk from his arm and tapped a button on the bottom of it, just as another woman with blond hair and dressed in an outfit similar to a sailor's raced onto the scene.

Ceren's motion had only been stopped by her arrival. "Damnit, Jaden, you brought back that enabling patsy _Echo_ too? First, you kill people, then you bring the wrong ones back! You are _completely_ devoid of any sort of justice _!_ "

The figure came to a stop. "I beg your pardon?!" she yelled. "I'm not an echo, prick! I'm Reggie! Look me up! Current dean of Slifer Red! Echo's who I'm here to find out about when I'm not busy uncovering who's been holding my students hostage!"

 _Oh, yes…_ Banner mused as he stumbled to his feet. _Apparently, there are still some students stranded from this Academy's trip into – wait! Jaden, did Miss McKenzie say she was the new dean? I've been replaced?!_

Yubel rolled her eyes. Jaden's eyes, however, stayed locked on Ceren throughout. "That situation's about to end, Professor MacKenzie!"

Reggie's left arm moved to her side, showing a Duel Disk adorning it. "I'd hope so, Jaden – you've been good so far, and certainly nothing like Bonaparte used to write about. Speaking of which, since we're here – he responded. Says he's moved by your kind words, and Marcel's made a full recovery."

"Wonderful." Both Jaden and Reggie turned to the near-forgotten brunette, Ceren. "Now that the world-usurping fail-son's long national nightmare is over, can we get to Jaden's newest fuckup-"

Then Ceren's mind hearkened back to a factoid mentioned before in the conversation and his eyes widened. "Wait…MacKenzie? Reggie Mac... Oh my god, Reggie, is that you? After all these years?"

"What do you mean is it-" Then Reggie's memory was jogged. "CEREN YUBIN?! Are you serious?"

"Wait, you know him?" Jaden asked the question out loud, while Yubel and Banner spluttered it out in silence.

"I do, yeah! His sister's been missing for a year and a half, the tournament coming up was supposed to be in her honor since she won the last one! Ceren, have you found her?!" Reggie implored.

Ceren's head hung at Reggie's inquiry."I… I have. And I'm not the only one, Reggie. There's… been a lot more she's seen than you could know, so many other people and places and…" Ceren's voice trailed off. "Why'd we have to _meet like this,_ Reggie? And now you're running cover for this kid? I mean, ma'am… did they even tell you what he's done?"

"Of course they have!" Reggie straightened up. "Saved Duel Academy on four separate occasions – that Crowler's heard of! It's why I'm happy to be his dorm's dean – and it's why in the world _you've_ got some explaining to do as to why you've come back to accost him!"

"NOTHING… " Ceren's shock was palpable. "… Never mind. You couldn't know. I'm sorry for how we've met Reggie, but I've got more important things to do _now_. And Jaden needs to pay for the lives shattered in his wake. Step aside."

Reggie, after three seconds, stormed forward instead. "I'll do no such thing. I'm your Dueling opponent now… "And Reggie's Duel Disk snapped to life. "And I'm calling in my marker from your life debt to me. If I beat you – which really, doesn't sound that hard, considering – your vendetta with Jaden ends now. Are we clear, Yubin?" Before the heartbroken Ceren could respond, another yell pierced the night sky. "Hold on, Reggie, I've got the others here!" And the racing form of Blair Flannigan came to a stop near Reggie, as drenched with sweat as the accompanying Professors Fontaine, Crowler, and Sartyr. "And yeah – _that's_ the kid who shot me out of the tree earlier!"

Ceren's retort would be cut off by a deafening alarm from the device attached to his Duel Disk. Opening the channel, he saw Akaine's face again, and she was frantic. " _WHERE ARE YOU, Ceren?! Evy's just been brought back and the rifts aren't stopping! If you don't get back it'll reac-"_

Even as Crowler's mouth fell open into a "Are those the Yubi-" and Jaden's realization of the sparks forming behind Ceren prompted him to yell out, a column of light shot out of Ceren's Duel Disk, and lightning started pulsing into him. Jaden was the first forward, and with his help, the malfunctioning disk was yanked from his arm. Blair was up in the next second, despite Reggie's flailing arms failing to hold her back, trying to assist Jaden.

But as she reached them, so did the bolts, and all three were swallowed up by the light before it disappeared in a snap with the three Duelists inside.

The perilous pall that hung over the gathered teachers could have been cut with a knife. Finally, Reggie spoke. "I'm scared to ask, but please, one of you – tell me you've seen this happen before and you know what to do."

Professor Sartyr answered her. "You've got it in one, Miss MacKenzie."

"We've seen this before, yes…" Crowler's voice was almost a whisper. "…but knowing where they've gone might be beyond what we can do."

Reggie MacKenzie ran a hand through her hair, looking hopelessly at the crater where two of her students – and her former peer – once stood.

"Then it's time we stop talking and start _trying_. Call Sheppard."

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

 **No intro for you all this time, the action's furious and long-past due. Next chapter, we handle how the canon-protags face the Aspect on their own home turf-and if their friends can save them from their fates in time.**

 **Links to the Aspect Decks used here, the Neutrino, and some specific choice cards are all below. Till next chapter, champs.**

 **Evy's Torque: bdsceptyr/gallery/60350024/the-torque**

 **Ceren's Paraidux Patrol: bdsceptyr/gallery/59718240/paraidux-patrol**

 **Tidus's Hydraul: bdsceptyr/gallery/60952857/the-hydraul**

 **Mizar's Neutrino: bdsceptyr/gallery/?catpath=%2F &edit=0&q=%23neutrino**

 **...and Asteroidragon: bdsceptyr/art/Galaxy-Eyes-Asteroidragon-742875612**

 **...and Galaxy-Eyes Neutrino Dragon!: bdsceptyr/art/Galaxy-Eyes-Neutrino-Dragon-675155223**

 **As well as Jack's Corona Resonator: bdsceptyr/art/Corona-Resonator-733954641**

 **...and Red Rising Archfiend!: bdsceptyr/art/Red-Rising-Archfiend-799647040**

 **Also, Yuma's new Utopia Infinity: bdsceptyr/art/Number-39-Utopia-Infinity-798991762**

 **And we can't forget Yusei's new Stardust Synchron: bdsceptyr/art/Stardust-Synchron-803238456**

 **...or Junk Combiner: bdsceptyr/art/Junk-Combiner-802693816**

 **But the Warrior of the Hour in the Save/Yusei showdown was Millennia Warrior: bdsceptyr/art/Millennia-Warrior-613464750**

 **...and its adjoining Synchron: bdsceptyr/art/Millennia-Synchron-613462718**

 **Don't memory-hole Tuner's Arrest, though: bdsceptyr/art/Tuner-s-Arrest-802708625**

 **And Jaden's newest Neos Fusion is no slouch either: bdsceptyr/art/Elemental-HERO-Nova-Neos-792137498**

 **Finally, a residual card from that Duel is anime-only, so allow D'Sceptre Inc. to help with finding it: wiki/Residual_Reflection**


End file.
